Visibility Zero
by the Marysue Murderess
Summary: She laughed when they cut her head off. She laughed and laughed. And then her head grew back.
1. Prologue:

Warning: Contains OCs (this is, in fact, an OC fic) but **no** self-inserts. ((Though I have nothing against them! That's just not what this is))

**MANGA SPOILERS EVENTUALLY! READ AT CAUTION!**

Disclaimer: Clearly, I don't own Naruto. I only own my OCs.

. . .

"It is forbidden to kill; therefore all murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets."  
― Voltaire

...

Prologue: The Land of Bloody Tears

My father had once called our village "the Land of Bloody Tears" and it is only now that I understand why. It is not the land that is crying, but the people within it.

I was born in the Era of Yagura, when bloodshed was as common as breathing air. The Mizukage was vicious, strong and unstoppable. His demon was known as Isobu, a piece of hell sealed within a tiny, child-like man. But appearances can be deceiving.

Yagura was absolute. He made rules and we followed them. If you didn't, he killed you. He didn't hesitate. Yagura was powerful, and he knew it. No one questioned him, not even when he asked us to kill our own comrades because of something as unimportant as a _bloodline.  
_It was eat or be eaten.

"Die now or die later, _your choice_." Yagura had whispered, raspy baritone flooding the room faster than the strongest water jutsu.

We obeyed.

That night, the Kaguya attacked. They slid out of the shadows like the war loving demon they were, bone swords drawn, eyes hungry. My clan had attacked, water jutsu against solid bone. They were relentless, but so were we.

I was seven.

I watched my cousins die from within my bedroom. And I laughed at their weakness like the filth I was. In my perfect little world, I was the strongest of them all, and they would one day bow to me. I felt no fear, no pain, no uncertainty. The world belonged to me. Those who were killed in battle had obviously not tried hard enough.

Or so I thought.

I watched my cousin, the honorable Hozuki Mangetsu, rip a man's throat out with his teeth. They were jagged like mine, but _sharper_. He could kill you so easily, so effortlessly, without even moving from his original position. His victim's agonized shrieks were cut short as he tore out their jugulars and left them to bleed out on the ground like the demon he was. Mangetsu loved to kill. He loved bloody, drawn-out deaths the most.

Mangetsu was nothing short of a monster.

Being three years his junior, I was constantly compared to him. Him, _Mangetsu_, the Second Coming of the Demon. Even then, the idea of me being his equal in any way was ludicrous.

I was strong, but I was only human.

A shriek tore through my thoughts like a well-aimed kunai.

I laughed and laughed.

I never once saw the Kaguya behind me.

..

White. I remember _white. _

The Kaguya woman with pretty, white hair and two blood-red dots on the center of her forehead had stood over me like the Grim Reaper. She was a bizarre representation of angelic beauty with her large, crystalline-blue eyes and soft cheekbones, decked out in a white dress spattered with blood.

She raised her sword, a declaration of war. She waited for me to meet her eyes before lowering her arm.

"Stupid child." She spat.

The sword met bone.

. . .

_Yes, the beginning has finally been written! I am so horrible with beginnings, but I need them to start the story. Hopefully you can bear with this one and this slight cliff hanger while I proofread Chapter One. Main character shall be revealed in the next chap~_

-MSM-


	2. Chapter One:

**Chapter One: The Blood of Idiots  
**

Note: Particularly long, italicized phrases are most likely thoughts. If it's just a word, then it was just emphasized.

"The most loving parents and relatives commit murder with smiles on their faces. They force us to destroy the person we really are: a subtle kind of murder."  
― Jim Morrison

. . .

The sword sliced cleanly through me, like a knife through butter. The Kaguya woman smirked, lips curled into a sickening snarl.

"I've got you now, you brat! That'll teach you to laugh at me!"

She wasn't so beautiful anymore. Not in the slightest. Her smile was too insane to be beautiful, her body too rigid to entice. One too many battles had tainted this woman. Too much blood. Now, she couldn't get enough.

Her bloodlust had made her careless.

Her bone sword went right through me and ricocheted off the edge of my cast-iron bed frame. The ivory blade embedded itself in her skull with the familiar crack of shattering bone.

I kicked her body away in disgust.

"A wise shinobi always pays careful attention to their battlefield and their position within it. You shouldn't have underestimated me." I said, despite knowing she couldn't hear me.

It was painfully obvious to even me that the Kaguya weren't well-versed in battle tactics. If they were, the Kaguya woman in front of me wouldn't be dead. The Kaguya wouldn't even_ be here_ at all. They were careless, and they got what they deserved.

I tore the sword from the Kaguya's skull with a soft, bored sigh. A single strike had taken out this formerly "fierce" warrior, a warrior stupid enough to think she could defeat a Hozuki with physical attacks alone.

"Look at you, getting your filthy blood on my carpet."

. . .

Perhaps if the Kaguya had placed more value on their bloodlines and battle tactics, they would still be alive today. They should have trained their men harder and eliminated the slackers. They should have placed higher value on the Shikotsumyaku technique, not swordplay. You can't beat a Kiri nin with a sword. It simply isn't done.

They were outclassed before they even arrived. They should have known about _us_, the Hozuki Clan. Every single one of us, from infant to adult, were immune to physical attacks. Becoming one with water is not a hard thing for a Hozuki. It is the first thing we learn, before walking or even crawling. Because of this, our parents plot to kill us before we even open our eyes.

The first infant to activate their Hydrification Technique lives. The one who can't must be killed. The last thing the Hozuki want is another failure, another weakness. We lost so much strength when my uncle, the Honorable Nidaime Mizukage, was killed in a battle with the Nidaime Tsuchikage... If we lose anyone else, who will we have? The weak?

That's no clan at all.

We are separated at birth based on potential. The strongest are placed with the highest ranking clan members, the Head and his wife, or their children. The weakest, the _slowest_, are placed with lowly clan members- pathetic adult genin and elderly chunin. The average stay with their own parents. _Like me._

The ones who can't protect themselves are drowned. It's the natural way to go, submerged in a bucket of icy water headfirst. Becoming one with the water is an honorable death.

I barely survived. I was a small baby, small enough to fit neatly within my father's hands, as if I belonged there. Most infants cry when they are born. I did not. My eyes were closed, as if I was sleeping.

"She will die before sunrise," The medic had murmured, not quite caring.

My father didn't even test me. He knew I would fail. My death was imminent.

"We'll do better next time," My father had whispered, throat thick with unshed tears. My father was soft inside, like a clam. He had a hard shell, but his heart was a bright pearl in a sea of blood. He had loved me.

My mother knew I would die. And she hadn't cared. She had no interest in a weak child, or any child at all. My mother was far from a traditional Japanese bride despite being the eldest daughter of the clan head. She had no interest in marriage or raising a family, but had married my father anyway to save face. It was logical, the proper response to an undesirable situation.

"Alright. Do it quickly."

She had not cared for me. My mother was beautiful, with bewitchingly bright eyes and smooth, ivory hair. When I was born, my cheeks were puffy and my thighs thick. I had not looked like a porcelain doll or a cherubic angel. I was not what she had wanted. She would be glad to see me go. This way, she could return to her life of bloodshed and scandal. I was not needed.

I would only get in the way.

. . .

Drowning is not something I can explain, because it is not something I have ever truly felt. When my father submerged me, all I felt was stillness. I did not panic or cry out. I simply opened my eyes.

The water became part of me, and I it. It was unity, synchronicity, and safety. The water was consistent yet ever-changing, and for two seconds of what felt like infinity, I was truly alive. You couldn't have drowned me if I wanted to. I _was_ water.

_I lived._

. . .

The Kaguya corpses stank of failure. They thought they could defeat Yagura and his men, and that is true idiocy. They had been strong, yes, but you can't beat what you can't injure. Fighting us at all had been their biggest mistake, and their greatest downfall. The Kaguya had almost encouraged their annihilation. It was only fair we had retaliated.

I kicked the body of my would-be attacker aside in disgust. She lay on the ground, grey-faced and broken, like a marionette.

_Stupid woman, stabbing herself with her own sword. What did she think would happen, messing with me? _

"Never underestimate Hozuki Chinatsu," I said to the corpse, lips curled in a dead-on impersonation of the Kaguya woman's last expression.

I took her sword into my hands, palms held taught over the grooving bone. It was a beautiful, deadly weapon. _If only it had been put to better use._

I raised my arm, a wild smirk twisting my features.

"Stupid woman," I spat, mocking the dead Kaguya.

I lowered my arm.

_Author's Note:_

_To answer Mark (a guest reviewer), yes, my OC is from the Hozuki Clan :)_

_Hopefully, this isn't too bad as far as chapters go. It's not my best, but I need to sort of get through this dismal beginning before I can go on to write the cool stuff, like her missions and Academy Years. Bear with me, please!_

_Yes, Chinatsu is creepy, arrogant and mildly insane. If you do research on the Yagura Era, my reasoning as to why she is this way will probably make sense. Both Mangetsu and Suigetsu are like this when they kill, for example. (She should probably grow out of this once she gets some friends, but that's for another chapter.) I just feel like she would be sort of terrorizing the corpse of the Kaguya in the same way it came after her, in a sort of revenge.  
_

_Also, much love to Shimmerwind, NagariMitsukari12 and Mark for being the first three reviewers on my story! Thanks for the support~_

_-MSM_


	3. Chapter Two:

**Chapter Two: Sky Runs Red.  
**

Note: Long, italicized phrases are thoughts. The singles are just emphasized words or sounds. You know the drill.

. . .

"If you're that obsessed with someone, why would you kill her?  
Humans are full of contradictions."  
― Ai Yazawa

* * *

The boy known as Kimimaro could have been my killer. But he was weakened, and I was armed with his comrade's bone sword. I was the native with an entire clan behind me. Kimimaro was a clan protégé, now without a clan. Everyone knew him, _the boy who used his bones like weapons_. Unfortunately for Kimimaro, he had no one to back him up.

I met his eyes, two pretty green gems surrounded by a sea of dark red blood- _the blood of my clan members?_ They were searching mine, apprehensive and innocent. Kimimaro was truly a beautiful boy. It was a shame he had to die.

Just as I raised the sword, he backed away, bones receding into his skin. It was clear that he possessed the elusive Shikotsumyaku bloodline, a technique that rivaled the famous Sharigan and Byakugan in terms of effectiveness. The Shikotsumyaku allowed the user to manipulate their own skeletal structure in order to turn their bones into weapons, a truly remarkable feat. He was indeed Kimimaro, the Kaguya protégé.

"Retreat," I suggested, "And I won't alert the others."

He was so small, even smaller than me. Just a boy, really. It wasn't his fault he had been caught up in all of this. Kimimaro was clearly a child engineered for war and killing, trained to defend and fight until the end. He couldn't be much older than me, and I was only seven, too young to be out in battle just yet. Yet here he was, covered in blood and _just too small._

"Leave," I whispered. I wanted to touch him, to push him backwards until he was outside the village boundaries. I didn't. I couldn't risk coming in contact with a bone sword before I was able to block his attack. He was young, but I couldn't trust him. Appearances can be deceiving, no matter how kind the person appeared to be. Our Mizukage is solid evidence of such. Underestimating him would be a death sentence.

Kimimaro turned and ran, bypassing the pile of his people's corpses. He didn't seem to cry, but his green eyes were sad. My stomach clenched at the idea of killing him, someone my age. He could have been my friend if things were different. But they weren't. Kimimaro was my enemy. His people, his bloodline, the Kaguya... they were the enemy.

And they deserved to be exterminated.

I was a kunoichi. I wasn't _supposed_ to let the enemy gain the upper hand. If I allowed Kimimaro to survive, there was a chance he could find refuge in a nearby village and return later with armed forces. Now that he had seen our clan techniques, he could spread the secrets of our hiden techniques worldwide, which would be detrimental to our clan's power. I _shouldn't_ spare him. I couldn't.

I did anyway.

The last thing I needed was another vengeful ghost.

. . .

The sun had long since disappeared behind the craggy mountains of Kirigakure, and the rest of my clan was yet from border patrol. They had set out shortly after the Kaguya attack to secure the border, and keep a sharp eye out for any other invaders. I had been alone with only the body of the Kaguya woman (what was left of it) to keep me company.

I had long since removed the woman's head and thrown it out the window. Her eyes were disturbing- seeing nothing yet never looking away from me. I was now contemplating how to remove the rapidly decomposing body from my bedroom, lest it leak any more body fluids on my daisy-patterned carpeting. She was too heavy for me to pick up... _Perhaps I could drag her?_

An alarm sounded, jolting me out of my thoughts. I recognized it instantly, and my stomach sank. It was the Mizukage's personal alarm, used only in situations of extreme emergency. Yagura himself had never used it, as far as I knew, but it had been used many times during the founding of Kirigakure, when the village had been sieged on a regular basis. If he was using it now, things must be _bad._

_I have to help!_

I slid off my desk chair and toed on my sandals before fumbling around in search of my jacket. Pulling it on, I readied my self to leap out the window as I had seen my cousins do hundreds of times before. _Left foot in the front, right in the back... Funnel chakra to my toes, land on the balls of my feet..._

Before I could move, my bedroom door slid open with a squeak, and Suigetsu toddled inside. He was unsteady, stumbling around as he made his way over to me on shaky legs.

"Nee-chan," He whimpered, hands over his ears, "Too loud!"

I hadn't even known he was home. _Anything_ could have happened to Suigetsu while I was locked away in my room, reading "_Tale of Genji"_ and eating plums. He could have been killed by a surviving Kaguya, kidnapped by a rival clan... There were too many possibilities with too little pleasant outcome. There was no way I could leave him alone now.

It was for the good of the clan. If I left Suigetsu here, enemies may infiltrate the area and kidnap him in order to steal our hiden. Not only would it be detrimental to our people as a whole, but Suigetsu could _die_. He was just like Kimimaro, I realized. None of this was his fault, but he was involved anyway.

He was just a baby.

"Suigetsu, do you want Onee-chan to fix you a snack?" I put on my gentle voice, a dead-on impersonation of Suigetsu's soft-spoken, _weak _mother.

He nodded, reaching upwards for my hand. I pulled him to his feet, marveling at how positively _easy_ it would be to kill him- right here, right now. No weapons. Just my bare hands. Suigetsu was so small, so soft and trusting. He would never see it coming.

I stepped out into the hallway, helping Suigetsu up the steps that separated my bedroom from the main house. Right away, I smelt blood. Not fresh blood, but rotting, festering flesh and fetid blood. Wherever it came from, it had been there awhile. At least six hours, judging by scent alone.

_Someone is in the house._

I gently lifted Suigetsu up off the floor and into my arms. He wrapped his sticky fingers around my neck and rubbed his sweaty cheek against mine, spreading bacteria and dirt like any other child would.

_I'll find you, Kaguya filth. You will die._

The hallway creaked as we walked along it, ancient flooring protesting our weight. It was a miracle the Main House hadn't collapsed yet, after all the fighting and water damage it had been subject to during the Founder's Era. Inwardly, I knew there was no safer place for a Hozuki- a house with water in the very core- but I couldn't help but feel skeptical as the creaking grew louder with each step. Something had happened here, but I had no idea what.

Finally, we reached the end of the hallway and entered the common room, the area usually reserved for meetings and discussion. It was the most open part of our home, door-less on all sides. It was the center of the Hozuki ancestral home, the beginning of our personal, moving labyrinth.

The design of our home was far more complex than it seemed. My grandmother, the original Hozuki Chinatsu, had made sure of this when she designed the building sixty-something years ago. It had been her personal mission to protect the secrets of our clan and our hiden, and she had designed to building to reflect this. The Hozuki home had seven total layers, three above ground and four below. The upper layers were intended for living, but the lower levels held unimaginable clan secrets. The lower you went, the more dangerous it became. Genjutsu, traps, and other unfathomable manners of torture lay dormant, _waiting_, on each level. Even I had never seen the bottom. I wasn't sure _anyone _had seen the bottom.

We were on the fourth level, border-line underground and heavily guarded. This area was usually alive with a calm, consistent hum of protective, golden chakra. Typically, I could sense the presence of my relatives throughout the entire building while within this room. It had been designed that way, for optimal surveillance and guarding. Today, when Suigetsu and I entered the room, I felt nothing. No buzzing, comforting chakra. Nothing.

The smell of blood was so very, very strong.

Hesitantly, I made my way to the center of the room. Suigetsu giggled, squirming in my arms. I released him, and he began to crawl away from me, heading towards the South Wing- the complete opposite direction of the kitchen.

There, the smell of blood grew sickeningly strong.

"Nee-chan, nee-chan," Suigetsu cooed, "Look what I did."

I dropped to my knees, stomach twisting into knots._ So much blood..._

"_No,_" I rasped hoarsely.

Suigetsu smiled.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Cliffhanger~

Don't worry! Kimimaro goes away and doesn't show again in her story!

Kimimaro and Chinatsu are roughly the same age. He's a bit older, (two/four months) though. Suigetsu is about three or four years younger than Chinatsu, and seven or eight younger than Mangetsu. He's the family baby.

For explanations sake: Chinatsu isn't as strong as she _thinks _she is. Chinatsu overestimates herself constantly, and is arrogant because of it. She really isn't that strong yet. For example, she probably would've been KO'd by Kimimaro. She just didn't think so.

-MSM-


	4. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three: The War Begins.  
**

"When she awoke, the world was on fire."  
― Scott Westerfeld

* * *

"Get up."

The edges of my vision were blurred and darkened, making it difficult to distinguish light from the dark. I could barely see what was right in front of me, but I could faintly make out two white, moving blurs.

"Get up," the voice repeated, "Get up or you will die, Chinatsu."

I shifted, cringing as I realized that I had been in my gelatinous form, the default state for a Hozuki. If I had entered this form without my knowledge, I must have been unconscious.

_Did Suigetsu do this? Did he attack me?!_

While I honestly doubted Suigetsu had made any negative advances towards me, I couldn't be too sure. The last thing I remembered was the innocent, smiling face he made as he splashed in the blood of his victims as if it were some sort of swimming pool. Even now, I couldn't believe what I had seen... Tiny, tiny Suigetsu standing over four undoubtedly dead Kaguya men. Their skulls were split, faces mangled and twisted almost beyond human recognition. Something, or _someone_, had shown no mercy.

_Suigetsu... did you... do this to them__?_

Pushing the negative thoughts aside, I began to reform my human body, despite the strain it placed on me to do so. When I was finally able to regain my human form, I raised my hand, vision blurring further as I attempted to sit up. I wasn't sure when I had passed out or why, but there was no denying that I had indeed lost consciousness.

A soft, irritated sigh came from the white blur to my right, and a familiar, feminine voice muttered, "Shōsen Jutsu!" before placing their palms on my forehead. Almost immediately, my vision began to clear.

I recognized the first white blur as my cousin Sumiko, a genin-level kunoichi who had graduated from the Academy just a few weeks ago. Sumiko was the very picture of practiced, precise elegance with her snow-white hair and always clean qipao, even in the heat of battle. She was the picture-perfect Hozuki female, carrying the grace my own mother failed to possess. I was little more than two years her junior but worlds behind her in the field of medical ninjutsu, at which she had always been impressively proficient.

"Can you stand?" She asked, chilly grey eyes boring into mine.

I nodded, pushing myself up off the floor with a shaky palm. I was embarrassed to be seen in such a weak state, even more so when I noticed Suijin, another relative of mine, standing off to the side.

Suijin was a good six months younger than me and a bit on the pudgy side, but still "cute" enough to be well-liked by her peers. She was nowhere near as strong as myself and seemed to lack initiative as a ninja, despite having a strong proficiency in our clan techniques. Despite this, she insisted we were rivals and vowed to surpass me one day... But she never acted upon her words. Suijin preferred to stay off to the side, watching me with her strangely empty green eyes.

I didn't like the way she looked at me.

"What's going on?" I couldn't help but ask.

Suijin snorted, tossing her blonde ringlets over her shoulder with a flick of her chin. "As if you don't know, 'Natsu."

_There goes that stupid nickname again... How many times do I have to tell her that I am Chinatsu, named after the founding mother of the Hozuki Clan? I am not 'Natsu'!_

As per usual, I didn't react to Suijin's childish antics in any form aside from thoughts. Keeping my face blank, I blinked slowly. _Do not give her the satisfaction of a reaction, Chinatsu._

"I don't know, really. One minute, I was with Suigetsu. The next, I'm here. What happened?!"

Sumiko and Suijin shared a quick glance, silvery-grey meeting cold green. Their chakra seemed to collide for a fraction of a second, fizzling wildly within their bodies. I groaned, placing a palm on my forehead. Their chakra was giving me a migraine, as it always did. Suijin's chakra was loud and fluttery, flickering in and out of her body like a flame. Sumiko's was smooth and chilly, like a bucket of ice water. When the two collided, things began to smoke- metaphorically, of course. I had realized long ago that my hypersensitivity to the chakra signatures of those around me was more of a curse than a blessing.

"Yagura-sama ordered the execution of all Kiri nin with bloodline limits while you were sleeping," Sumiko stated, tone flat and completely lacking in remorse.

I raised a brow, unable to contain my confusion. Had the Kaguya, who weren't even Kiri nin, started this mass genocide with their own stupidity?! _Surely_ Yagura wasn't going to start a civil warover something as trivial as this.

"Are you sure? Or is this just a cover-up for an invasion?"

Suijin sighed, head thrown back theatrically. "Naw."

Sumiko simply stood up, dusting off her pale-blue qipao as she did so. She gestured for me to follow her, and I begrudgingly did so. I hated being lead around like a dog. Sumiko knew that, I was sure of it. She simply loved to push my buttons.

_Just wait until I snap, Sumiko. I'll snap your neck. Then who will be laughing?_

Sumiko led me upstairs, to the third level of the building, and gestured to one of the double-hung windows with a flick her doll-like wrist.

"Take a look if you don't believe us, cousin." She said simply.

Tentatively, I pushed the window open. The smell of smoke and tepid flesh hit me less than a second later, making my eyes water. It was late in the evening and the mist was thicker than usual, closer to opaque than translucent. Ordinarily, I could see through it, or at least detect the chakra of fellow nin around me to avoid accidents. Now, I saw nothing. I couldn't feel the presence of anyone else aside from myself, Suijin and Sumiko. Something about this just didn't add up. My eyes narrowed as I realized what I was looking at wasn't mist. It was _smoke_.

The village was on fire.

When there's too much fire, you get burned. Not even a Hozuki can withstand a constant flame. It might not kill us directly, but it could render us unconscious and incapacitated, which would likely lead to the destruction of the village. Without our solid defense capabilities, Kirigakure would have been wasted long ago.

I slammed my palms down on the window pane, fingernails digging into the moulding. _My clan... Oh Kami, not my clan!_

"Sumiko," I hissed, "You lying piece of shit. The village is burning down! This is _not _the time for your games!"

Sumiko was clever, disturbingly so. While she might not have been necessarily book smart, Sumiko was the most manipulative, two-faced person I had ever met. One moment, she was the sweetest person you'd ever know. The next, she's holding a kunai to your throat, making demands. I didn't like to think about what happened when her demands weren't met.

Sumiko smirked at me, pretty face warped with malevolence. "Fine, cousin. Go play in the smoke, see how long you last by yourself. It's a war zone out there."

_A... war?! The Kaguya started a WAR?!_

My chakra pulsed as I clenched my fists, wanting nothing more than to whip around and clip Sumiko's smirking face with all of my strength. But I didn't dare. It would be a waste of perfectly good chakra to blow her head off- it would just grow back.

"What do we do, then?" I whispered, voice cracking.

Was this a civil war? Or were we going up against Iwagakure yet again? I was completely and utterly lost, and I _hated _being in a position where I lacked power. I didn't know where I stood in this war, or what could become of myself and my clan if we lost.

My own father could be out there, dying. My friends could be dying. Everything I loved was threatening to fall apart, and these weak, pathetic excuses for Hozuki were _hiding_. I didn't understand how they could justify such cowardice. I didn't even know what was going on, and I was ready to fight. These girls were just... trash.

"We do what ninja always do," Suijin said with a shrug, "We fight."

I clenched my fists again, barely able to keep my anger in check. "Then, Miss 'Ninja', why are we here? Why aren't you fighting, hm?"

I wanted to ask them where Suigetsu was, but at the same time I didn't. If the bodies I'd seen were anything to go by, Suigetsu was just like his brother- too much power, too little restraint. He had singlehandedly obliterated four adult, _Jonin-level _Kaguya without me even so much as noticing a disturbance. As far as I knew, Suigetsu had killed them barehanded. He didn't use any weapons yet...

_Hell_, he was still in _diapers_.

It was clear that Suigetsu was going to become a monster as he aged. I couldn't delude myself any longer. Suigetsu wasn't the sweet, innocent child I thought he was. He was... a demon. A blood thirsty, vicious demon.

_Just like Mangetsu..._

I couldn't stand to look at either of them. They were so weak for abandoning our clan, our comrades, in their time. Just looking at Suijin's smirking face made bile rise in the back of my throat, burning me like white, hot venom. Unlike them, I had _honor._ They were filth. I was the hero. And I'd be damned if I didn't do something about this.

Without looking back, I threw open the window and leapt into the smoke.

* * *

Author's Note:

Shōsen Jutsu is the green medical ninjutsu technique used by close to every medic nin. The Mystical Palm Technique, I believe, is the translation.

Mark- Yes, they do get past Kiri's hatred towards bloodlines. Anyone can use the Hydrification Technique if they are taught it, which makes it a "hiden" rather than a bloodline. It appears to be constantly active, rather than activated, because when a Hozuki is rendered unconscious, they enter a gelatinous form unconsciously. Excellent point from you, as usual :)

Ah, before someone asks: Chinatsu isn't specifically a sensor type. Almost all ninja can sense another's chakra, it just depends on how close they are to that person. Sensor types have a more specified, wide range with higher clarity- like a third eye.

-MSM-


	5. Chapter Four:

**Chapter Four: Within the Hidden Mist  
**

"While I was looking the other way your fire went out  
Left me with cinders to kick into dust  
What a waste of the wonder you were  
In my living fire I will keep your scorn and mine  
In my living fire I will keep your heartache and mine  
At the disgrace of a waste of a life"  
― Kristin Cashore

* * *

Without looking back, I leapt out the window and into the smoke.

I landed awkwardly, too heavily on the bridge of my feet for it to have been properly executed. I straightened up, covering my mouth with the palm of my hand in an effort to force back the rising bile. I definitely smelt burning flesh... And _not _in a good way. I could excuse the scent of light burns from fire jutsus or lightning releases, but this smell was too concentrated to be _just _the result of trivial flesh wounds. Something big had happened, I was sure of it.

Everything was too still.

The old sounds I had heard were that of my landing, the sound of my sandals meeting gravely dirt. My own heartbeat was uncharacteristically loud, hammering hard against my ribcage whereas in was ordinarily almost undetectable. I had a very, _very _bad feeling about this.

Tentatively, I stepped into the wall of smoke. My home disappeared from view as I began navigated this swirling grey vortex of nothingness, leaving me in a very vulnerable position. I had no idea which direction I was walking in, and I could hardly see my own body, let alone a possible enemy. Everything was very grey and bleak, as if all hope had been lost within this bottomless abyss of hell.

If this was a war, then where was the fighting? If anything, I should have heard the sounds of metal against metal, the whistling of parting air as a kunai tore past me, or the screams of dying ninja.

I heard nothing.

I felt nothing.

I was practically blind in every sense of the world _except _sight, but even that afforded me little. What I could see was very flat and grey, swirling above me like a fiery inferno. This was definitely more than just smoke or unusually thick mist- mist didn't thicken like this, and as far as I knew, neither did smoke. Someone, or something, had definitely cast a strong jutsu over the area, most likely in the favor of Mist nin. Unlike outsiders, we could fight when we couldn't see or hear our opponents, focused only on their chakra as we delivered the killing blows. This very fighting style, _the Silent Killing_, was arguably the most reputed fighting style in all of Kirigakure. Foreign nin had no idea what was coming...

Is that what was going on here? Was every Kiri nin employing the use of the Silent Killing, using this thick wall of smoke and mist to their advantage?

While that was an impressive deduction on my part, something about this just didn't add up. While I could trust my fellow shinobi to keep quiet, I could hardly hold foreign nin to such a caliber. The Kaguya had been the loudest opponents I had ever heard, shrieking and cheering even as they were struck down by my relatives. If other outsiders performed in a similar manner, then it would definitely be anything but quiet around here...

_At the very least, I should feel some chakra!_

The fact that I felt the presence of no one besides myself was even more disturbing than the idea of war. The village was ordinarily teeming with life, chakra signatures absolutely everywhere. When the Kaguya arrived, my senses had been on red-alert, veins thrumming with excitement at the induction of fresh chakra into my vicinity. Chakra was a comforting sense of the proverbial "safety" despite it often being a mark of anything but. As long as there was chakra, there were shinobi. As long as there were shinobi, I was protected.

_No chakra._

I had not an inkling of an idea as to what was going on here. I was usually very quick to the draw, able to solve most problems as they came my way. I was above my peers in intelligence, but that was hardly something to brag about. The average shinobi my age couldn't even _read _yet, let alone piece together complicated situations as I normally did. I was an outlier in my own age group, one of few who didn't think picking my nose was socially acceptable.

I could already tell the Academy was going to be a bear. Most of my classmates probably wouldn't know a genjutsu from a ninjutsu if it hit them in the face. I wouldn't be challenged in the slightest. None of my relatives had. When Mangetsu had entered the Academy, he was already a killing machine. There was nothing baring me from following his path, but I was yet to be taught anymore than basic kenjutsu by my father. It was clear he expected very little of me, his _daughter_ that should have been dead. Any requests I made for instruction were met with "Next time, sweetheart," while he seemed to have all the time in the world to train Mangetsu.

Mangetsu wasn't even his child! I was, not _him_. Me. _Pay attention to me, Father. Mangetsu is strong enough!_

I didn't even have my own sword yet- Kaguya relic notwithstanding. That wasn't my own, it was a leftover I had stolen from a corpse. I wanted something that was mine, custom made for _me_. Not one of Mangetsu's leftover blades. _Me._

I slammed my foot down on the ground violently, chakra bursting through my body like a bomb. My anger, unchecked, was truly a dangerous thing. I released a pulse of chakra from deep within me, slicing through the air like Killing Intent. Almost immediately, I began to feel light-headed from chakra depletion.

_Damn it! How stupid could I have been?! _Wasting chakra now was a poor idea. If this was a war, I was going to need every ounce of chakra I had just to keep up.

And that chakra burst was like waving a sign above my head and screaming "COME AND GET IT!" The enemy nin- if there were any- would be on me in a second.

I had to _move. _

I leapt from my position on the ground and sprinted violently towards the center of the swirling mist vortex. I had no idea where I was going, or why. I just _moved_.

A soft, barely-there humming came from my right, fast approaching. My worries had been confirmed. There was indeed someone else out here, and my chakra pulse had sent them my way. I then concentrated on the chakra signature, trying to identify it. It was an unfamiliar chakra signature, but very faint, suggesting either chakra depletion or small reserves to begin with. It flickered, much like Suijin's, but was overall brighter than Suijin's chakra normally was.

I had no idea who it belonged to, which was what worried me most. I had always assumed that I had a relatively good memory, and was able to recall familiar chakra signatures with ease, faster than I could remember faces. Chakra signatures are wholly unique, never matching up completely with another. They were the invisible ninja ID card, and impossible to duplicate. You can get close, if you're talented with a transformation jutsu, but you will never be able to completely replicate someone else's chakra signature. It's like DNA- completely and utterly _personal. _

I didn't recognize this incoming signature _at all_, and I was quite sure that I had a good majority, if not all of my comrades' signatures memorized. When I met someone, I made an effort to commit their signature to memory to avoid confusion and just plain dangerous situations. Because I didn't recognize this one, it had to be that of a foreign nin.

I was unarmed, surrounded by thick fog, and completely out of my element. I had no idea how I would defend myself if I were to be confronted. My chakra was mostly gone now, thanks to the pulse I had sent out earlier, and _nothing was making any sense._

This was supposed to be a war. I didn't necessarily want a war, but I knew this was far from one. Everything was simply too silent, aside from the sounds of my sandals smacking against the wet, grainy gravel as I ran. War is loud, bloody, and brutal. There are no "pauses," no fairness or decorum. You fight to win, or die trying.

I heard _nothing_.

My own heartbeat had grown faint now, dissolving into the background as I ran. It should have been growing steadily louder, but I could hardly hear it at all. While that in itself was worrying, I had bigger problems to deal with.

The chakra signature was suddenly _so _close.

"YOU!" Someone screamed.

_Everything was on fire._

* * *

I apologize for how how poorly written this is. The government in my country began to fall apart and my family and I were forced to evacuate from the area. I am currently jetlagged and typing this onto my iPod from a hostel near Narita, Japan. As half Japanese, I have had dual citizenship here and was able to use this to leave my country. As a result, this is not my best chapter. I hope to edit it eventually, but right now I just want to lay down and _sleep. _There is more specific information on my Tumblr about this, I recommend that you see it.

I'm so sorry for lagging so heavily in this update! I will try my best to not do this again! I will get to work on the newest update right away.

-MSM-


	6. Chapter Five:

**Chapter Five: Deceit.  
**

* * *

"Yeah, as long as we know we're trapped, we still have a chance to escape."  
― Sara Grant

* * *

"YOU!" Someone screamed.

_Everything was on fire._

The girl herself wasn't, but everything else was. Every fragment of living, breathing life had been destroyed, shattered and aflame. The girl was a Phoenix, alight with fire but completely unharmed. She was beautiful, I realized, in an unconventional sort of way, with her glittering grey eyes and shimmering hair. She was a little on the small side- especially to be out here- but that wasn't what caught my attention. The power radiating from her was _suffocating. _From far away, her chakra had been faint and close to nonexistent. The closer she came, the more powerful her chakra grew.

I had been completely and utterly incorrect.

When I had surveyed the area, I had been confident in my scan. _No threats_, I had thought.

I was wrong.

This girl was definitely a threat. She was the source of the fire, I was one hundred percent sure of it. The flickering of her chakra was almost exactly inline with that of the flames, a sure sign of a practiced katon user. I was at the advantage here, being a Suiton user by nature. Fire was weak against water, but water could be overpowered if the strength of the flames was more powerful than my own. If the flames I detected were anything to go by, this girl was an exceptionally skilled katon user. The flames were _blue_- the most difficult to use and by far the most dangerous type of flame. The blue area of a standard flame was the hottest, the very core and source of all heat within the flame itself. Ordinary katon users created orange or red flames, with hints of blue towards the center.

But these flames were _entirely _blue. I hadn't even known this was physically possible, which meant this girl was all the more dangerous of an opponent. The odds were not in my favor today, it seemed.

She was so very, very close.

I had no idea why she was after me, and not knowing made this whole ordeal all the more terrifying. I could understand her rage if she was, perhaps, a Kaguya... But this girl clearly wasn't. The Kaguya women I had seen had been petite and graceful looking, like professional dancers rather than ninjas. This girl was pear shaped and stocky, with a certain heaviness to her bones that reeked of chakra. The Kaguya had two blood red marking in the center of their foreheads, whereas this girl's face was clean of any markings whatsoever. Her skin was warm olive rather than bone-white, and she was simply _bursting _with chakra in a way I had never seen before. I had no idea how I had missed such an important detail... But somehow, I had.

_Oh, why me?!_

I _had_ to think quickly. If I let her in too close, she could burn me up faster than I might be able to activate any of my Suiton techniques. I didn't know what sort of tricks or techniques this girl used, which made things even worse. The lack of information presented to me would be detrimental to my success in what would probably escalate into a full-blown battle. I normally planned before acting, keeping to the shadows until I discovered the chink in my opponent's armor.

There was no time for that now. I could see the whites of her eyes from where I stood- _strike time, _my father had always said.

Without wasting another second, I began to compress the water within my index finger until its pressure began to burn. This technique might be my only advantage...

"Mizudeppō no Jutsu!" I whispered.

The water chakra burst from my index finger at lightning fast speed, slicing through the girl's right hand.

Scowling, I spat bitterly on the ground. My aim had been off, completely missing the girl's forehead, my intended target. A water bullet through the hand would do little to debilitate her, and had most likely been a total waste of what little chakra I had left. At best, it might slow down her hand seals just a _bit_ but would otherwise do nothing.

_What a waste of perfectly good chakra..._

A bark of "Lava Release: Lava Globs!" sounded from my right, and I had less than a fraction of a second to leap away from the incoming globs of... _blue lava?!... _before they managed to latch onto my skin. My stomach clenched with worry. This was _not _good. I had expected fire but definitely not lava, an elite technique normally only usable by highly skilled jounin. This girl was only a little older than me, I was sure of it. She was far too small to be full-fledged ninja, and she lacked the mature eyes our childlike Mizukage possessed.

And the lava was _blue. _Real lava wasn't blue. It was orangey-red, just like fire. Assuming the same rules applied here, blue lava must be the most intense of all the various types of the Lava Release. I wasn't even sure that anyone else actually used blue lava in combat...

This girl was unbelievable.

I leapt out of the way of several globs of lava, one narrowly missing my abdomen. The force of the jutsu was so strong that I wound up flying backwards and hitting my head on the ground. The shock was enough to make me freeze in place for a fraction of a second, which gave her just enough time to repeat the hand signs for the jutsu and spit out even more lava.

My chances of survival diminished even more when I realized that I had no chance of beating her at hand-to-hand combat. My taijutsu was underdeveloped, and what little I could use was intended for close-range combat. Getting to close to this girl would mean death, and that was something I did not want to experience. I swallowed, a bead of sweat trickling down my forehead. I couldn't think of a logical way out of this battle, if there was one at all.

The girl ran at me, leaving no time to think. I had to act, and quickly!

I slipped into my gelatinous form and sunk into the ground, struggling to push through the hard-packed dirt before she could reach me. My move was cowardly, but the smartest option I had. While I was not the best at utilizing the Hozuki Clan hiden, I was advanced enough at manipulating my form that I could squeeze into exceptionally small spaces with little effort, and push through hard-packed surfaces to come out on the other side. While I wasn't the strongest or the fastest, my ability to vaporize my body was far greater than any of my other clan members. I could successfully turn myself into mere water vapor, a skill originally possessed by only my grandmother, the original Hozuki Chinatsu. Unlike her, however, I could not break myself down on a molecular level yet. I wasn't sure if I would ever be able to be, but now was as good a time to try as any.

It was the only option I had. This girl was like Mangetsu, leagues above me- a monster in every sense of the word. She could create fire out of nothing, like any katon user worth their salt, while I could only use my limited range of suiton techniques when I was near a viable source of water. As far as I could tell, there was no water nearby. I might be able to pull some from the misty smoke that had covered the area, or perhaps some from the ground itself, but my resources were significantly limited. Kirigakure was full of water, but I couldn't sense any of it now. If there really was a war going on, the odds were not in our favor.

_Let's hope she doesn't know how to break through the earth..._

Frantically, I attempted to compress my form further, pushing myself deeper into the ground. But nothing changed. My body was still in a semi-congealed form rather than an invisible molecular structure. I realized that worrying about this now was stupid- who cared if I could dissolve if the girl could simply burn me up?!

I could hear her breathing softly above me, but she didn't move. Neither did I. Despite how cowardly my move may be, it was by far the best option I had. I couldn't risk coming into contact with her lava, which would undoubtedly render me unconscious. In the event that the worst did happen, she would likely be able to kill me with little effort.

I couldn't let that happen. My clan needed a successor- one that wasn't completely rotten with bloodlust like Mangetsu or Suigetsu would likely grow to be. They needed someone with a strong head on their shoulders- like me- that they could trust to make the right decisions. When my honorable uncle was killed in battle, we lost our greatest power. My mother was next in line to become leader after her father, which wasn't a good thing. My mother was consumed by her bloodlust to the point of insanity. She would not make for a good leader, and would likely lead the clan to its demise before too long.

I had to prove myself.

_Now!_

I shot up out of the ground with a cry of "Drowning Water Blob Technique!", body twisting around the girl's form to constrict around her neck and face. If I kept her from breathing, she would die quickly and I could locate the others.

Her skin grew scorching hot, fiery and bubbling with raw heat. She was nothing like me, stream-lined and pale, with skin as smooth and moist as water itself. She was fire embodied, a dangerous immortal phoenix that could only grow stronger. I was water- smooth, simple water. I could be easily overtaken by her...

I was going to evaporate.

With a shriek, I released her, jerking away from her boiling-hot body. My body reformed quickly, but my skin was tinged dark pink from burns. This was _bad_. As a Hozuki, my skin was naturally protected from an physical attack. The fact that her very skin had effected me at all was highly disturbing.

The girl did not wait for me to gather my thoughts and instead flew at me with another Lava Release Jutsu. This one was the 'Lava Release: Melting Apparition Technique' and even more dangerous than her previous one. When the technique was activated, the user spat sheets of molten lava into the air. This technique was effectively hot, liquidy, air-born death. I wouldn't be able to outleap it, so I took three steps backwards and activated the Mizudeppō no Jutsu, this time using both hands.

I managed to clip the girl's right thigh before she dodged the first bullet, and put the second on through her shoulder. By the time I was preparing the release a third, she was cursing fitfully.

Lava sliced past my right ear, scorching my cheek but thankfully never touching it. This was getting out of hand. Any closer and she would have taken my head off!

"What do you want from me?!" I gasped in between gulps of air.

My chakra was almost gone, and I was beginning to become dehydrated- a strong sign of oncoming death for a Hozuki. I needed water quickly if I hoped to survive this fight. If I became dehydrated, there was a high possibility that I would go into full-blown shock and eventually begin to waste away. Hozukis need an almost constant supply of water to be in top condition, and I hadn't had anything to drink in well-over eight hours. I was toeing the line between life and death at this very moment. The edges of my vision was beginning to blur and I could hardly breathe. Things did not look good.

My opponent was well aware of this. Her dark eyes glowed with mirth- as if she found me amusing rather than a threat. Clenching my fists, I prepared to launch another attack.

"What, is that puny water gun technique all you have?" She taunted, already starting on another set of hand seals.

I growled. "Hell no!"

Without thinking, I whispered, "Suiton: Mizurappa."

I instantly regretted it. The technique used up the last of my remaining chakra but knocked the girl backwards, dousing her from head to toe in water. Smoke began to fill the air, adding to the walls of greyness around us.

I had been foolish. Now, I had hardly enough chakra to complete a simple water gun technique. I was unarmed. I had been careless, running away from Suijin and Sumiko without even so much as gathering up a few senbon. I should have brought the Kaguya sword with me, at least. It had been with me right up until I passed out...

_Suijin._

Suijin had done this. Either Suijin or Sumiko had tricked me somehow, and had probably stolen my new weapon from me while I was out cold. This could be the reason my head had hurt so badly when I had awoken- they had tampered with me. Suijin, Sumiko and I had always been rivals. Suijin was the daughter of my father's brother, and a fellow contender for the heir of the clan. Sumiko hailed from the lower ranking families but had excelled in the field of medical ninjutsu from an early age. It wouldn't surprise me if they had teamed up to stop me. Sumiko could probably remove fragments of memories, which would explain the odd blankness in my head when I thought of anything after seeing the bodies of the Kaguya men. She was simply that advanced. Suijin, on the other hand, was lazy and preferred food over training any day. Somehow, she still viewed herself as my equal despite being leagues beneath me. She was likely the mastermind behind this entire plan, and Sumiko had likely been all to willing to go along with it. Of course, I couldn't be sure, but it was more than a little likely that they had something to do with this entire event...

_A genjutsu_. This was a genjutsu.

I couldn't believe I had never noticed. It was _so _painfully obvious now that I thought about it- the silence, the mist, the fire... It was all one huge, elaborate trap and I had walked right into it.

"Stop with this bullshit, Suijin," I growled, "You can't fool me!"

The girl laughed, head thrown back as she shook with hysterics. "What makes you say that, baka?!"

"Everything about this is odd. The strange, misty smoke, your skill level, my memory loss- none of it adds up. This can't be a real war, or a real reality!" I hissed.

The girl smirked. "Well done. Congratulations, Hozuki Chinatsu. You passed."

The world went up in smoke.

* * *

Author's Note:

Katon is the Fire Release. Suiton is the Water Release.

Mizudeppō no Jutsu is the Water Gun Technique (super lame looking but so effective). It's basically where you make a gun sign with your hand and shoot water out like a super-powered bullet.

When you use Suiton, inexperienced users can't really make their own water. Even super experienced users can't do that with high powered jutsus unless they are like... kage level or something, which is why Chinatsu is struggling. Plus, she's low on chakra.

Mark: Indeed, she does! Chinatsu likes to think she is in control, but she really isn't. Plus, her chakra reserves are _super _small at this age. There isn't much she can do with what she has left, so she normally tries to outsmart her opponent.

And thank you for the kind words! All of my reviewers are just too kind, I don't deserve you guys! I'm sorry I gave you guys this poorly written fight scene... I have never written one of these before, so please forgive me. *bows*

-MSM-


	7. Chapter Six:

**Chapter Six: All is Revealed...?**

"We are not trapped by our thoughts. What we generally do, however, is create thoughts that trap us."  
― Joshua David Stone

. . .

Two hooded figures crouched on the edge of the battlefield, watching the fight unfold before them with great seriousness.

The larger of the two figures, the one to the right, turned to his smaller counterpart. "Chinatsu is awfully small, isn't she? Are you sure you want to do this, Akane-sama?"

The second figure nodded slowly, her violet eyes narrowed with concentration. "Of course. She's anxious to prove herself. Who am I deny her that chance? I will allow her to fight and see how she does. Then, we will judge her capabilities as a ninja...

"If she lives that long, that is."

The first figure swallowed, pale brows knit with worry. "But, Akane-sama-!"

Akane raised her arm, pale skin standing out sharply in the shadows around them. "Silence, Ryouta. You will not interfere with my daughter. I am the only one that has a say in her future."

Ryouta forced himself to look away from Akane's harsh face. "Yes... _sister_."

* * *

My mouth opened wide as I barely managed to gasp, "I- _what?!_"

The girl winked at me, sticking out her tongue, "You'll find out soon enough, gaki."

She disappeared into thin air like a dispelled summon, leaving me completely and utterly alone on this barren-

_Shoreline?!_

The genjutsu had been dispelled, revealing the familiar craggy shoreline of what appeared to be the south-west edge of the island. From where I stood, I could see the Harry Tree, a local landmark from the Founder's Era. Rumor has it that a family of cannibals had once taken refuge beneath it, and had lured their victims to their imminent demise from within it... but they hadn't been seen for years. Rumor has it, that if you stand beneath the Harry Tree in the dead of night, you will be able to see headless bodies swinging from it's branches. The founders of Kirigakure had kept it far outside the village boundaries for that very reason- it was likely possessed by the vengeful dead. As far as I knew, the Harry Tree was roughly twenty kilometes from the village. When I had departed from home, I had been in what was almost the center of Kirigakure. It was amazing- and a little disturbing- to find out that I had managed to get so far from home without knowing it.

_And near such a morbid site... _

"You figured that out pretty quick, little girl," A familiar, ambiguous voice murmured from behind me.

_No, it couldn't be..._

I willed myself not to jump in surprise, preferring to pretend I had been aware of their presence the entire time. I slow turned around to face the owner of said voice and almost choked.

That wasn't who I had been expecting.

"About time you came out of your hiding place. You must be a pretty pathetic excuse for a ninja if I could sense you this entire time." I breathed, lying through my teeth.

"Ano- Chinatsu-san, please don't say such mean things about me!" My uncle whimpered, pale arms flailing as crocodile tears formed in the corners of his eyes.

I sighed, burying my face in the palms of my hands. My uncle was a complete and utter simpering fool. He was the true heir to the head of the Hozuki clan, but was too soft-hearted and silly to be anything other than a low-ranking member. My mother could hardly tolerate him, and they had been raised together, forever competing for the position of clan head.

Then again, my mother could hardly tolerate anyone.

_Not even me..._

As if she she had heard my thoughts, my mother's chakra signature suddenly appeared nearby, a tell-tale sign of chakra cloaking. My original assumption had been correct then- my mother had been the one to speak, not my uncle.

"Speak of the devil," I muttered.

"What were you saying about me, gaki?!" My mother hissed, cold fingers wrapped around my neck.

I glared at her, completely ignoring her question. Until she explained what was going on, I wasn't going to give her _anything. _My business was mine and mine alone. If she wanted me to come clean, she'd have to do the same herself.

My mother released my neck, eyes narrowed dangerously. She reared back and slapped my cheek as hard as she could. I did not flinch. My mother had always been this way, preferring physical means of punishment for disrespect rather than verbal ones. I had expected this from her.

It didn't hurt, anyway.

Well, it did. A little. But I was never going to tell her that. When you fought against my mother, no matter the medium- physical, mental, or verbal- it always turned into a battle of wills. My mother did not loose because she never relented, and neither would I.

"Fancy seeing you here," I murmured flatly, "Care to explain, Mother?"

Her eyes flashed, but she did not move. My mother's body was very stiff and rigid, as if she was bracing herself for a reaction of some kind. As odd as this was, I thought nothing of it. My mother did not show fear. Instead, she showed caution.

"Ano, Akane-sama-" Uncle began, high voice cutting through my thoughts like a well-aimed kunai.

My mother raised her hand, effectively silencing him with a single gesture. Her hands snaked around my shoulders, well-manicured fingertips digging into the delicate flesh of my collarbones. "Quiet, Ryouta. This is _my _daughter, not yours. Go back to your fat child and coddle her, but don't try to do the same with mine."

I stared at her. While my mother and I were very much one and the same in our opinions on Suijin, my uncle's daughter, I couldn't believe she had pointedly claimed me as her own. She seemed to prefer to pretend that I didn't exist rather than treat me like her own flesh and blood.

_What a bizarre day it has been..._

Uncle's mouth dropped open and I sighed, not wanting to have to deal with a sniveling thirty-year-old man. My mother had an innate talent for disappearing when the waterworks started...

Suijin's father was certainly an odd man. He was so soft and frail, yet he never seemed to have been defeated in battle. My Uncle seemed to honestly care for his daughter in ways unfamiliar to me. He loved to stuff her with food and let her skip out on training, as long as she was happy. Suijin was free to do as she pleased, while I wasn't allowed outside of the Hozuki compound without supervision...

_I am so totally screwed._

Not only had I left the compound without supervision, I had managed to get twenty kilometers away from _the village_ itself before anyone had stopped me. I had never been this far away before. And now, there was a dead Kaguya in my bedroom, who's blood had _definitely _stained my carpet. Not only was I in trouble- I was _dead. _

I had never understood why my parents were against allowing me outside of the compound. I knew it wasn't one of those "clan things" because it only seemed to effect me. I could do whatever I wanted inside our property line, but the moment I stepped outside it everyone was on edge. My father, who was the most easy-going out of anyone in my family, would instantly stiffen and rush after me, but leave my cousins where they stood. It was completely illogical and had never once been explained.

As per usual, nothing was making any sense.

"You didn't answer my question, Mother," I drawled.

My mother scowled at me, facial features contorting into that of a blood thirsty demon for a fraction of a second. Her fingersnails dug deeper into the flesh of my skin, but I didn't feel a thing. Chakra depletion was beginning to take a heavy toll on me, and I could feel myself slipping deeper into a state of dehydration as the seconds ticked by. The longer I was forced to stand, the more weakened I would grow.

_Not good... At this rate, I'll be out of it before we reach the compound._

"Move your sorry ass, Chinatsu." She barked, pushing me forward with the bottom of her sandal-clad foot.

_Typical. Won't tell me a damn thing._

My snarky thoughts were abruptly cut off as my body titled forward, vision blurring. I collapsed on the ground, gasping for air as my heart pounded erratically.  
_Water! I need water!_

Everything went black.

* * *

I jerked upwards, gasping for breath. My stomach churned and I felt almost _sticky _with perspiration. It was almost as if I had just awoken from a nightmare.

But I hadn't.

_This was real._

My mother stood over me, lanky figure blocking out any source of light behind her. Her eyes were dark, her pupils dilated enough to cover almost her entire iris. Her icy breath fanned out across my face with each exhalation, moving my bangs ever so slightly.

"You're grounded," She said, _finally,_ "And... no plums for a week."

_What?! That's it? Is she joking or...?_

"Are you sure?" I rasped, throat dangerously dry.

She wrinkled her nose, somehow managing to make an ordinarily cute expression look snide when she used it. I mirrored her expression, widening my eyes and scrunching up my nose until I looked just like her. It was almost horrifying how much we looked alike, even in the dark like this. My father had always said that I took after my mother. In some ways, I supposed I had. We both had the same violet eyes and windburned cheeks, but my skin was darker than my mother's bone-white, almost pallid complexion. Her hair was a shock of bright white whereas mine was more of a muted, fading blue. My mother looked more like a ghost than a human being, with blood-red lips and long, white eyelashes, a sneer almost always etched onto her face. She was terrifying and gruesome, and _I hated her_.

She was nothing like me, and I was nothing like her. We weren't the same and we never would be. I hated being compared to her, and being called "Little Akane" as if I didn't have a name already. I would never be my mother, no matter how badly everyone else wanted me to be...

_Not even if she wanted me to._

"Of course I'm sure. I'm always right. You know that." My mother drawled, sickly sweet voice jolting me out of my thoughts.

I jerked away from her, slumping back onto the unfamiliar cot. This wasn't my room, I was sure of it. I wasn't even sure this was my house, now that I thought about it. The ceiling was slated with smooth, wooden planks whereas my bedroom had stucco-patterned whitewash.

"Ungrateful gaki," Mother spat, fingernails digging into my wrist as she spoke.

Suddenly, it dawned on me. We must be in her room. Not the room she shared with my father, but her personal room, the one she had occupied as "princess" of the clan before marriage. This was my mother's personal suite, occupied exclusively by her. No one, not even the maid, was allowed inside. This room was effectively my mother's inner sanctum, and she wanted no one but herself inside it.

Clearly, she was going to kill me. Why else would she have brought me here? Not out of love, that's for sure. My mother didn't love anyone- not even my father as far as I knew.

"Stop looking at me like that, Chinatsu!" She barked.

Something about the way she said that _enraged _me. What right did she have to speak me like this?!

"Like what? Like you've looked at me my entire life? With disgust?!" I shouted, attempting to push her away.

She didn't move a single centimeter. Instead, she froze in place, staring at me with her wide, dark eyes.

"Chinatsu... is that what you really think?" She whispered, fingernails threatening to tear through the delicate flesh around my wrists if I let her push any harder.

I struggled to push her hands off of me before simply liquifying my limbs and slipping away from her sickly pale form. I wasn't going to answer her, not until she answered me. _It was none of her business, anyway._

I intended to run out of the room or maybe leak through the floorboard, but my body felt like it was _on fire_ when I tried to move. Even in my liquidized form, I was weak and runny like day-old eggs.

"What did you do?!" I rasped, slumping against the floorboards like a stringless puppet.

My mother's shadow loomed over me, but she didn't move in the slightest. She just stood there, watching me with the sickest, most gruesome smirk I had ever seen on a human being etched on her doll-like face. She didn't even _blink_.

I shivered, feeling as if a thousand spiders were crawling beneath my skin, but could hardly move from where I laid on the floor. She'd kill me now, I was sure of it. I could see it in her eyes- fragments of insanity were finally coming together.

"Listen, you ungrateful piece of shit," Mother growled, "I'll say this only once: You passed."

"Passed what? I never took any tests!"

She was referring to the girl and the fire, that much I knew, but it couldn't have been a test. A genjutsu, definitely, but not a test. Putting me through a trivial, insignificant test using such a high level genjutsu was an honest waste. My mother didn't like to waste things- except people, that is- and I honestly doubted she would even bother wasting anything on me. My entire life had been structured simply, planned by her from the sidelines and executed _flawlessly. _I had been given the resources to live- food, water, clothing and the like- but no extras. My mother didn't believe in trivial, pointless items like toys or fancy clothes. She had always given me what I needed and almost never what I wanted in order to make certain that nothing would ever be wasted. I had books about ninja wars and weaponry but none of the delicate dolls girls my age seemed to adore. My entertainment was not truly meant to be entertainment. It was meant for its single, utilitarian purpose- to make me stronger. This way, my mother's efforts would be repaid in full.

It was the process of Equivalent Exchange.

"Tch, don't play dumb with me. I know you're smarter than this. If you weren't, you wouldn't have figured it out by now," My mother drawled, finally coming into the light.

I sighed with relief as she came into better view. She was much less disturbing this way, when I could see her face and laugh inwardly at the fact that if you squinted, it looked like she had no eyebrows. At this angle, my mother looked almost _normal, _like the sort of mother that made bentos and sewed dresses and didn't call their daughters "little shit" more often than their own names.

But then she smiled, I remembered she _wasn't. _

"You passed," She repeated, picking at her jagged teeth with the edge of a well manicured fingernail.

"You've said that already," I hissed, struggling to push myself up off the floor.

My mother's cool hands wrapped around my ankle and she dragged me backwards across the floorboards, friction burning my back.

"Shut up for a minute and let me fuckin' talk," She growled.

I did.

My mother dug in her pockets for a moment, pulling out a package of cigarettes. She extracted one from the package before spitting out just enough fire to light the end. Smoke filled the room seconds later and I gagged, covering my nose with the collar of my nightdress.

_Disgusting!_

"I'll explain, then." She said, _finally. _"Your father was very against you becoming a ninja from a young age. It was because of your small, weak body that he kept you out of the Academy this year. You've been sickly most of your life, Chinatsu, yet you are so set on becoming a shinobi that you couldn't care less about what will happen to you if you try. The Mizukage saw this and devised a simple plan to test your worth."

She paused for a moment, taking a huge breath of smoke before continuing. "I agreed automatically, and we decided to test you. As you likely deduced, there is, in fact, a war going on amongst us Kiri nin, but you didn't go out into it. You were trapped in a genjutsu before you even awoke, thanks to one of the Akiyama Clan's finest men. Suijin and Sumiko were diversions, but they were real. Sumiko knew ahead of time, but Suijin didn't."

I fumed, fists clenched tightly as I struggled to keep my composure. My own father thought I wasn't ninja material!? That in itself was far more insulting than this 'test' or the genjutsu. I could live with deceit, but being thought of as weak was a sin beyond compare. I _despised _weakness.

"You did alright, I guess. You didn't do much of anything except piss your opponent off, but you didn't die so I guess it's alright. You thought fast enough to save your skin, which is _alright. _You did better than I thought you would, but I would have let you die if you hadn't figured it out by then. Unfortunately, you did."

My right eyebrow twitched, but I didn't react beyond that. Truthfully, I didn't know how to. As ridiculous as this entire process sounded, I had no way of proving my mother wrong and was forced to simply take her word for it. The very idea of believing in her at all made my stomach churn with worry. My mother was not one to be taken lightly or underestimated, that was for sure.

She turned to open a window, spitting the remnants of the half-chewed cigarette outside before slamming it shut again. She wiped her mouth on the edge of her shirt sleeve and grinned at me, jagged teeth and all.

"You start Academy tomorrow, Little Shit. Don't be late."

* * *

Gaki- brat.

Ano- um (implies low self-esteem and nervousness)

Note: Kirigakure is on an island, so Chinatsu thinks of it as such. When she says "the island" she just means Kiri or the Land of Water itself.

Mark: Yes, it is a bloodline :) The Lava Release is simply a very difficult to control bloodline, and that's why she reacted that way to it. All of the jutsus in canon are either A or B ranked, and since she assumed the girl was her age, it surprised her a lot more than it would have if an adult had used it. The Lava Release is known for being exceptionally difficult to wield because of how powerful it is. As for how the Hydrification Technique can be used, I believe it could work in a similar manner to Zetsu's underground travel if the wielder is experienced enough at breaking down their body. Chinatsu isn't at that age yet, but she might figure it out eventually if she keeps at it. Great points from you, as always!

Thank you all for the great comments! I was really glad some of you liked my fight scene, and I hope I can improve on them so that they will be better soon. So, so sorry for the lateness! I was sick and had writers block at the same time, joy.

-MSM-


	8. Chapter Seven:

**Chapter Seven: Last Minute Preparations  
**

"It's sick and twisted and violent. Other than that, it is totally G rated."  
― Elizabeth Cruickshank

...

I had a thousand questions and absolutely no answers. My logic had failed me yet again, leaving me in a dangerous position far too close to the unknown. The lack of information unnerved me, as it always had. This, I was sure, my mother knew.

She smirked, blood-red lips curving upwards in a sinister smile, but offered me no additional information. My mother simply rose to her feet and stepped over me, sakura-pink kimono swishing as she sashayed out the door. The door slid shut behind her, and I heard the telltale click of a lock snapping shut. I swallowed hard, throat suddenly cotton dry.

"I said you were grounded, didn't I?" My mother said with an almost girlish giggle, her voice sounding almost strained through the material of the door.

I didn't quite catch the meaning of her words when I first heard them. I don't know what I thought she meant, but I know I was very, very wrong.

My eyes flashed with uncertainty as realization washed over me like a tsunami wave. My mother intended to torture me. She had planned to leave me here from the very beginning, dehydrated and alone except for my thoughts. The idea of being locked in this room was terrifying enough, but the symptoms of dehydration were far more unnerving. That alone could kill me.

But it was the idea of being in a room occupied solely by my thoughts that made my blood run cold. My brain was a horrible, deep labyrinth filled to the brim with monsters and ghosts of memories. I did not like to be alone with my own mind for fear of what could come out of it. It was because of this that I read almost constantly and cleaned my room more frequently than a child my age would. I couldn't stand my thoughts or the directions my brain went in whenever I gave it a chance. I kept myself occupied to eliminate its chances of ever allowing my darkest thoughts to surface. I had seen too many things to keep up the façade of an innocent child any longer. My mother knew this. She knew it well and she exploited it. Not just once, but many times. I spent far too long locked inside a room, in this cage of a compound without her having to push me any farther. But she did. _And she loved it._

I stayed as still as possible as my heartbeat pounded in my ears and my joints locked up with dehydration. I thought of _nothing _at all for as long as I possibly could, but quickly surrendered to the whims of my mind as dehydration consumed me.

_Please, someone let me out!_

As if granting my prayers, the door reopened for a fraction of a second and a bottle of water was clumsily hurled inside. I recognized a familiar set of chubby fingers and the edge of an even more familiar dark-blue haori.

_Suijin... But why?_

Before I could say anything or even move, the door was slammed shut and the lock was reset, leaving me completely and utterly alone. Frantically, I reached for the water and unscrewed the lid, ignoring the sharp pain in my joints that twinged every time I so much as moved. I gulped the majority of its contents down in a single gulp, leaving only a little of the precious liquid in the container. My throat still burned, but I was _alive, _and that was far better than being dead.

I swallowed the rest of the water without a second thought, as foolish as it may have been. I couldn't have cared less for proper planning at that time. I wanted water and I wanted it _now,_ regardless of the repercussions. I had no idea how long I was going to be in this room, but I assumed I would be in here until morning. My mother's speech had left me with so many unanswered questions, but I had managed to get the gist of what she was saying.

I would enter the Academy tomorrow, completely on my own. As far as I knew, I was the only person in my clan that would be doing so. I didn't know anyone besides the members of my clan and a few of my father's friends, and no one I knew was heading to the Academy this year. I knew Suijin would be waiting another year, and Sumiko had already graduated. I wouldn't have any friends, but I supposed that was for the best. I had never been very good at friends in the first place, idea of entering the Academy was nerve-wracking, to be honest. I had assumed that I would be prepared for this day, but I wasn't. I didn't have any shinobi attire aside from my frumpy quipao- and _everyone _wore those- or any of my own weapons, bone sword notwithstanding. My sandals were old and well-used, but they would undoubtedly look shabby compared to my classmates'. They already looked bad when I compared them to Sumiko's, and she was a working genin shinobi. I just _knew _I would look stupid, and that no one would like me right away. I wasn't like other kids that liked to play with toys and throw dirt at one another. I read, slept, and practiced throwing senbon at my walls when I thought no one was looking. I was "weird", according to Suijin, who was surprisingly popular amongst her peers.

I swallowed, feeling a knot of nerves settle in the pit of my stomach and filling me with dread. I was _doomed. _There was no way I'd be able to make friends as easily as my cousins did. Suijin was extremely gregarious and in-your-face when she wanted to be, and Sumiko was quietly alluring- like the finest of poisons. I was just _there_, like a stagnant creek.

I sat up, sighing with relief as the water began working its way through my system. I could already feel it in every fiber of my being, soaking through my skin and swirling through my chakra system. Silently, I blessed Suijin's meager existence for what was likely the first and only time I'd ever do so. I was far from being in top condition, but thanks to her water, I was better off than before.

_Now... How to get out of this room... The door might be unlocked...  
_

I shakily pushed myself up off the floor and onto my feet, gripping the side of my mother's cot in order to steady myself. I managed to right myself and pushed away from the cot, stumbling like a drunk over to the door. I pulled on it several times with all of my strength, but the door wouldn't budge. Growling to myself, I stomped over to the small, single window on the right wall. While my irritation did nothing to make me feel better, the stomping had made it easier for me to walk in a straight line. The window was a bit too high up for me to reach properly, much to my chagrin. I tried jumping, but I couldn't get high enough up to grab onto the window frame properly. I kicked the wall repeatedly out of pure frustration, no longer caring what my mother thought. It was her fault I was here at all! If she hadn't locked me in this stupid room in the first place, she wouldn't have scuff marks all over her formerly impeccable white walls.

I'd had at least two temper tantrums, I _still_ couldn't grab onto the damn windowsill. Mentally, I cursed my petite frame as I was forced to push the entire cot over to the window in order to climb on top of it to reach the window. My arms shook with effort and I scowled at my own weakness, pushing even harder against the cot's metal frame. Finally, the far side of the cot was touching against the wall, and I was able to climb on top of the mattress and unlock the window. I struggled to pull myself up high enough to actually climb out of it, but I was finally able to after I used the wall for leverage.

I clumsily toppled out of the window and splattered on the ground like a broken egg. I was certain, as I had been for a long time, that I would probably be dead if not for the Hozuki Clan techniques. I was simply that clumsy, as ridiculous as it was. I supposed I could blame my lack of grace on my lack of training, or simply my short temper, but I still found excuses hard to swallow. My pride was bigger than my body, that was for sure.

I waited the agonizing twenty-something minutes it took for my body to reform before jumping to my feet and jogging towards the front gates of the compound. I had planned to sneak out of the compound and defy my mother entirely for as long as possible until I was dragged back home by one of her many subordinates, but my father spotted me before I could even unlatch the gate.

_Here comes another lecture, _I thought, _fabulous. _Say what you will about my mother, but she didn't drag things out. My father was the opposite. He danced around topics with incredible grace that only an ANBU level shinobi could possibly possess, hiding his true feelings behind a carefully constructed defense. If he was angry at me as well, then I'd be forced to sit through at least forty-five minutes of nothing but my father droning on and on, saying things like, "you disappointed yourself, not me," and "the victim here is _you._" Personally, I never felt disappointed with myself during those instances, nor had I ever felt like a victim. If my father would actually pay attention, he'd see that he was wasting his efforts on a person like me, someone who hardly cared about anything except myself.

But he didn't.

"Oh, Natsu-chan! What are you doing out here? Did your mother send you to come shopping with me?" My father asked, sounding far too cheerful to be in the middle of a war.

_It's Chinatsu, you fool. You named me, you should know. _

He was the same as always, deluded with innocence and about as shallow as a kiddie pool. It was funny how opposite our attitudes were- me, the distant observer, and my father, the in-your-face power. It should have been the opposite, to some extent, but it wasn't. My father had lived through two wars _at least_, yet he still allowed himself to be twisted and deceived by people like my mother. Unlike him, I saw everything for what it was- genjutsus notwithstanding. I was a child in body but not in the mind. In my own head, I was truly twisted.

_Oh, father. If only you knew..._

"Yes," I lied.

He grinned, jagged teeth coming into view for a fraction of a second before his mouth closed yet again. "Great! I was worried about the sizes, but now I don't need to bother. You can just try it on!"

I cocked my head to the side in a show of coy confusion. "Try on what?"

"She didn't tell you? I'm taking you to buy some equipment and new clothes. You can't go running around Academy in your playclothes, can you?" Father explained, humming slightly to himself.

_So that's it, _I mused, _Clothes! _One of my earlier, dehydration-induced worries would be put to rest, it seemed. Maybe I didn't have anything to be concerned about, after all!

"No, she told me," I continued to spin my earlier lie, preparing myself to set up an elaborate, _deadly_ trap, "I just forgot."

_No, I didn't. But you wouldn't know that, would you?_

"No worries then!" My father chirped, turning to the gate and pulling it open.

_A war doesn't worry you then? _I couldn't help but wonder how he seemed to chipper and bright when everything around us was literally ripping apart the seams. His comrades were being murdered, if what Sumiko and Suijin had said was anything to go by, and he didn't seem to care at all.

_Maybe we aren't so unalike, after all..._

The force-field like barrier jutsu parted in the middle and allowed us to step out of the compound before closing behind us. That was another one of my grandmother's works- a protection so strong that it was almost impenetrable. It was known as the "Iron Water" seal, formulated specifically for use by the Hozuki alone. The seal allowed us to pass through it from within the barrier but didn't allow outsiders inside without a complicated set of hand seals and passwords. It may have been a little overkill in terms of security, but I had no complaints. Anything to protect the Clan Techniques.

From here on out, it was a quick five minute sprint to the inner-village. From where I stood, I could see the stone stairwells that led to the Mizukage's tower and the main street. The ocean was visible just to my left, but buildings and rocky crags rose on my right.

_Finally, out of the compound without Mother breathing down my neck..._

"So, clothes or equipment first?" Father asked, preparing to break into a solid sprint.

"Weapons." Clothes could wait, or never happen, for all I cared. I wanted kunai, shuriken, and senbon. I _needed _them. I had enough clothing for now, even if they were a little on the shabby side, they fulfilled their purpose

Without waiting for him, I launched into the air and onto the upper steps before breaking out in a run. My father was faster than me, without a doubt, but I wanted the satisfaction of getting _anywhere _before he could. I had to at least _try. _Quickly, I zeroed in on the only weaponry retailer I knew by name- the Ushiwakamaru Trading Post- and raced towards it. I skidded to a stop in front of the cement building, sandals scuffing against the rough tiles that decorate the ground. My father slid up behind me, his body reconnecting at an impressively fast rate as he rose from beneath the earth.

"Cheater," I said, even though we had never agreed to race.

My father had obviously used his modified version of the 'Doton: Dochū Eigyo no Jutsu'* in order to slip under my radar- literally- and catch up to me with little effort. My legs were shaking with strain yet my father didn't even looked moderately tired- he had the gall to look _bored _instead. Scowling, I kicked at the ground and wished I was faster... perhaps even as fast as Namikaze Minato, Konohagakure's legendary Yellow Flash.

Maybe, then, I would be able to beat my father.

"You can't cheat when there are no rules," He replied, sticking out his tongue at me.

_Childish, childish man..._

"There are always rules, Father. Life is filled with them." I replied cryptically, knowing it would confuse him.

"EH?! AND WHEN HAVE YOU LISTENED TO RULES?!" Father shrieked, shaking his fists at me.

_His temper is just as bad as mine, _I thought, _Maybe those things do run in the family._

I scoffed, turning away from him in an attempt to look cool and detached, but accidentally wound up kicking up a cloud of dust. I coughed awkwardly, crossing my arms and pretending I had planned to do that in the first place. "Quit whining, you're a grown man."

My father looked as if he was about to retort, but I was through waiting for him to reply, I pushed open the cool glass doors and entered the Ushiwakamaru family's building. I had only been here once before, when Mangetsu was being outfitted with new blades after his old ones shattered from overuse. Back then, it had been all about _him, _the 'wonderful' Hozuki Mangetsu who clearly never did anything wrong.

This time, it would be all about _me. _

"Chinatsu-kun, I'm glad to see you are well," Ushiwakamaru Junpei, the building's current owner, said with a gentle smile.

His jagged teeth looked out of place alongside the rest of his face, which was almost doll-like in proportion. However, I knew very well that he was far from fragile. Ushiwakamaru Junpei had once been a candidate for a position within the famed Seven Swordsmen, much like Mangetsu in his youth. However, he had been rendered useless for quite some time after an Iwagakure shinobi had almost gutted him during an infiltration mission. He was far from the man he once was, but Ushiwakamaru Junpei didn't play by anyone's rules but his own. He was still a fearsome opponent even now, and the only man my father trusted to provide his weapons. He was one of the few people I felt truly deserved my respect.

"Thank you, Junpei-san."

Junpei turned to my father in an almost expectant manner, raising a thin cerulean brow. "Academy?"

My father nodded, looking almost sheepish. "Was it that obvious?"

"Yes," Junpei said flatly, looking almost- dare I say it- _amused_.

"Ah, well... We're going to need the standard kunai and shuriken-" My father began, ticking off the items in his head as he went along.

"Senbon. I want senbon, too," I interrupted, tugging on my father's shirtsleeve.

Senbon were the only melee weapons I had any true experience with. I knew my blades well, but I had been practicing my senbon tossing skills since I was at least five, when children here normally entered the Academy. I could hit 89 out of 100 targets now- not great, but better than nothing at all. I knew that if I had senbon of my own to practice properly with, I would improve.

"Dear, don't you think those are a bit out of your league?"

Senbon were the most difficult of the three common core weapons. They were meant for spreading poisons and hitting arteries, but didn't normally kill right away. Kunai and shuriken were more practical, able to both cause damage and block attacks whereas the senbon could only be used offensively. They weren't a first choice for many people, normally used only by hunter nin.

But I could use them. In fact, they were _all _I could use. My mother had never left any kunai laying around that I could have borrowed, and I had been forced to settle with senbon. I didn't know much about the other two, aside from what they looked like and how they were supposed to be used. I'd never handled a shuriken before, and only messed around with a kunai a few times. I needed _something _that I was familiar with.

"No. Nothing is out of my league." I said, setting my jaw with determination.

Junpei nodded before turning to my father, "She needs them anyway, why not? If she can't use them at first, then she can learn. Nothing is a waste when you have determination like that."

_I can already use them! _I thought, struggling to resist the urge to sulk. I had worked hard on improving my accuracy, I really had. Melee weapons hadn't come easy to me, and no one had ever taught me how to use them. What little I could do was self-taught and I had worked hard for it. They weren't even going to give me _a little _credit. It stung, being slighted like that.

My father glanced back and forth between us in an almost comedic manner, grinning widely. "Ganging up on me already, are you?"

I just glared at him.

"Ooh, nice," Junpei said, "You've got a great glare."

He tossed me a package of senbon, neatly tied together inside a wad of dark grey fabric. There weren't many inside, probably only about fifty, but it was enough for now. I wouldn't need more for quite some time, until I was a genin and going on actual missions.

"Thanks," I said dumbly.

"It's no trouble," Junpei assures me, "Do your best in the Academy, Chinatsu-kun."

I nodded, clutching the package tightly in my left hand.

"Now, does she need anything else besides the kunai and shuriken? Has she got a sword yet?" Junpei asked, preparing to slip behind the counter and dig out a set of both.

"Oh!" My father cried, slapping a hand against his forehead, "I forgot to ask you that, didn't I?"

He turned to me, crouching down so that he was on my level. "Natsu-chan, are you going to use one of Mangetsu's old-"

"**No**."

My tone must have surprised both of them, because my father jumped up onto Junpei's desk and drew his sword, whereas Junpei just dropped a bunch of kunai all over the floor in surprise.

_ANBUs my ass..._

"Okay, okay," My father tried to pacify me, "Bad idea on my part. I'm sorry, really."

Junpei continued to stare at me as if I was some sort of unearthly entity for a good two seconds before shaking his head and crouching down to pick up the dropped kunai. I probably should have helped him, as I was the cause of his clumsiness, but I didn't. I was far too preoccupied by my father, who was currently _still _perched on top of the damn desk as if he was awaiting an enemy attack, regardless of the fact that he _knew _it was me. And I was seven years old and three-foot-five on a good day, _if _that. Plus, he saw me everyday, even if we almost never spoke to one another and he never bothered to seek me out of his own accord. We were a detached sort of father and daughter, watching each other from afar yet almost never interacting. If anything, he should at least have realized I wasn't a threat by now.

"Get off the furniture!" I demanded, stomping my feet to punctuate my words.

"She's right, Makoto. There really isn't a reason for you to be standing on top of the desk in the first place, and I'd like it if you'd get off. _Now._" Junpei quipped. His tone was light and almost cheerful, but his eyes glinted with a dangerous sharpness that made me question his sanity.

"Fine, fine," My father said, hopping down from the desk and landing in a crouched position on the floor. "Now, where were we?"

"Swords," I said, prodding his shoulder with the tip of my index finger to keep his attention.

"Right!" He cried, raising his fist in a manner I could only assume was meant to be uplifting.

_This is going to take awhile..._

* * *

Author's Note:

*- Earth Release: Underground Projection

Also 3 foot 5 is normal height for a seven year old, I googled it. Surprising, no?

Mark: Damnit man, stop seeing through my plot lines! Just joking, but no, really, you're too good at this. I was setting up for a future plot twist and you spotted it right away. Am I that predictable? Do tell me, as I'm very nervous at the idea of being so.

I tried to right Chinatsu as having some child-like insecurities about school and not having any friends. I know I was the same way at her age... But I don't know if I wrote it well, so I apologize in advance. Plus writers block TT-TT This chapter is just not my best. Next one should be more interesting, as this one really isn't.

Thanks very much to my great new readers who reviewed to me~ 10th Squad 3rd Seat, FashionablyHospitable, and guisniperman!

-MSM-


	9. Chapter Eight:

**Chapter Eight: The Truth Comes Out  
**

"Water does not resist. Water flows. When you plunge your hand into it, all you feel is a caress. Water is not a solid wall, it will not stop you. But water always goes where it wants to go, and nothing in the end can stand against it. Water is patient. Dripping water wears away a stone. Remember that, my child. Remember you are half water. If you can't go through an obstacle, go around it. Water does."  
― Margaret Atwood

. . .

_This is going to take awhile... _I had thought.

I was right.

Never in my life had I seen my father so focused. He was generally very jittery and almost never gave you his full attention, preferring to keep his mind elsewhere even when dealing with people like my mother. My father was a bright ray of sunshine, but had a dark side that not even I dared to tangle with. He was Hozuki Makoto, the former prodigy of the Seven Swordsmen. He had once wielded the Hiramekarei*, but had passed it on to Mangetsu when I turned four. I still couldn't believe he had given up so much honor for the sake of my cousin, who wouldn't have done the same for him. My father was just excitable, he was _stupid. _I would have never given up arguably the second most powerful sword in all of Kirigakure just because Mangetsu asked for it. He had once been so honorable that I had been excited to call myself his daughter. Now, he was just a man- just an ordinary man.

"I think she just start out with a tantō," My father insisted, speaking more to Junpei than me.

"I disagree, Makoto. Chinatsu doesn't need a standard dagger to start off with. It's only going to limit her progress with kenjutsu. What she needs is something she can use to take an opponent's head off without much effort. If you send her out with _just_ a dagger, she's sharkbait." Junpei said.

"Well, what do you suggest then, if you suddenly know so much?" My father shot back, his tone dangerously snarky.

I glanced back and forth between the two of them, fearing the worst. Both of these men were incredibly stubborn and incredibly experienced kenjutsu specialists. Neither of them were going to let up any time soon, I could tell.

I trusted Junpei more than my own father at this point. Junpei owned a weapons retailer, for Kami's sake! He _knew _what he was talking about, but my father was too hard-headed to listen. I respected my father's kenjutsu knowledge as well, but to a lesser degree. He had just _given up _his position amongst the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, which made me question his over-all intelligence. Becoming a member of the Seven Swordsmen was the greatest honor besides the title of Mizukage available in Kirigakure. The Swordsmen were... the best. They were the most talented members of their generation.

I wanted to become a Swordsmen more than anything else. They were so _incredibly _powerful and well-respected amongst the villagers that I just couldn't help myself. Everyone in my family looked up to Mangetsu, _respected him. _I wanted to be like that- idolized, trusted, _acknowledged. _I wanted everyone to know my name and the power I possessed. I was sick and tired of sitting on the sidelines, watching everyone else have their time in the sun whereas I was forced to stay in their shadows.

No longer would I watch them. They would be watching me.

I had been named after my grandmother, arguably the strongest kunoichi to have _ever_ come out of Kirigakure, and I was yet to do anything worthy of my name. _Yes_, I had killed the Kaguya woman, but that was hardly noteworthy. Suigetsu had taken down four men at the age of three, whereas I had only managed to kill one out of sheer luck. If I wanted to prove myself, I needed to train harder than everyone else did, fight harder, _improve. _I had natural talent, I was sure I did, but I was yet to realize my full potential. I didn't know where I would go or what I would do with my future, so I was frantically trying to do everything at once. I didn't know what I wanted to specialize it- kenjutsu was expected, but I needed more substance than just _that_. Almost everyone in Kirigakure used a sword, and another Hozuki clumsily throwing around a blade would be hardly original. Of course, I wanted to use swords, but not just swords. I didn't want to be one of those fools that was easily defeated once disarmed, too focused on a single aspect of my skillset to allow for anything else. I needed to find my personal shtick, my greatest strength, to truly unlock my power.

My uncle, the honorable Nidaime Mizukage, hadn't been anything special as a child, but had grown incredibly strong with the addition of his summoning technique. He had then modified our clan techniques to allow for maximum destruction, ingeniously mixing toxic oil with his own water to kill his enemies in record time. He hadn't been a natural genius, but he had grown incredibly powerful and had eventually become the Mizukage. I wasn't anything special _yet_ but I knew I would be. I just had to find my strengths and build them up, just like he had. Maybe, one day, I could become the Mizukage as well...

"NATSU! YOU AREN'T LISTENING TO ME!" My father shrieked, jolting me out of my thoughts.

I glanced up at him, quirking a brow. "Are you done squabbling over nothing yet?"

My father was about to retort when Junpei cut him off, slapping a hand over his mouth.

"Yes," Junpei assured me.

He was distracted seconds later when my father bit his hand and blood began dripping out of his palm in globs of dark, dangerous red. It looked painful, but Junpei didn't seem to react to the injury aside from eying it carefully. I scooted forward, watching with morbid fascination as Junpei quietly bandaged his palm, quelling the blood-flow for a few moments until he could better heal it later. Non-Hozuki had such _beautiful _blood...

"We were saying," My father said with a scowl, "That we've come to a consensus. I think that you should use a katana, but Junpei insists that you use a naginata. We were wondering which one you preferred."

I blinked. _Oh, so now he's asking me. I bet he thinks I'll side with him, doesn't he?_

My father unsheathed his sword, tapping it with the tip of his index finger.

"Katana," He said, needlessly.

_I know what a katana looks like, Father, _I thought sullenly, _I'm not stupid._

Junpei pulled a strange, pole-like weapon from behind his back, tossing it towards me with a flick of his wrist. I caught it, but just barely. The naginata was _enormous. _It wasn't necessarily wide like the Hiramekarei was, but it had a long, curve-tipped blade on the end that made me think of the ax-like war scythes I had seen on display last time I had been here. The naginata, from tip to base, was at least five feet in length and was most certainly bigger than my entire body. It wasn't heavy, but it was _tall._

"How do you use this thing?" I asked, struggling to stand it up-right without stabbing a hole through Junpei's desk.

Junpei motioned for me to pass him the blade, and then stood up, taking the distinctive 'Dancing Water Dragon' fighting stance- a style of fighting I would be learning in the Academy soon enough. Quickly, he spun around, hooking and seamlessly shifting left and right. The reach of the naginata was incredibly long, hooking into the neck of a practice dummy Junpei had previously been displaying with a dangerous ease. The head dropped from the severed neck of the dummy with a hollow thunk. The entire process had taken _less_ than five seconds.

"Like that," Junpei said.

I gaped at him, my mouth opening and closing like that of a fish. "Can I do that?!"

_Forget katana! Did you see that incredible decapitation?! _I cheered inwardly.

"With practice, yes. The naginata is perfect for decapitation, and works well with techniques like the Silent Killing. I think you could become quite powerful with this sword, Chinatsu-kun." Junpei said, handing it back to me.

"_Powerful my ass!_ She can't even stand the damn thing upright!" My father cried.

This was true. I was far too short to be using a weapon this size, even if I could lift it. It _was _too big for me, unfortunately. _There goes my luck, _I thought sadly.

"Nonsense," Junpei said, "I can give her a modified, smaller version now, and a standard sized one later, when she grows into it. I just didn't have one on hand for her to try when I pulled this one out. I can go dig one out of the store-room if you'd like."

"Please do," I said, hardly able to contain my excitement. With a weapon like this, I would be unstoppable. If I worked on my speed and agility, I could become a formidable assassin and maybe even utilize the famed Silent Killing technique. I could do anything I wanted now, with the proper weapon.

Junpei slipped behind the counter, pushing through a set of curtains that seemed to be the entrance to his storage facilities. I hopped in place while we waited, unable to shake the giddy feeling from my bones. I couldn't believe I'd found something this unique in Junpei's store. I had expected to walk out with a standard katana or maybe a yari like the one my mother used, but never a naginata. I hadn't even known there was such a thing until just a few minutes before.

_Look out Academy! I'm coming to tear you up!_

**. . .**

We waited for Junpei to come out of the storage room for at least half an hour. By this time, my father had already given me a lecture on "upholding family morale" and had told me that I needed to "stick to the goddamned program for once, young lady." Clearly, my father was upset with my choice in weaponry. I had chosen to forgo the katana- the only kenjutsu weapon I had any honest experience with- for a strange, too-big-for-me weapon that he obviously didn't think was appropriate. I did my best to ignore him. The naginata wasn't normal, I knew that already, but it was extremely effective and had an impressively long reach. It was technically still a kenjutsu weapon- a sword-type- but it wasn't the norm. I wasn't the norm either.

It was a perfect fit.

My father was just about to start on his "think of the clan" rant when Junpei came bursting out of the storage room carrying an armful of weapons and supplies. He dropped them all over the floor and proceeded to dig through the pile until he located the naginata. He pushed the sheath in my direction before returning to his task of digging through the pile of objects.

When I examined the naginata, it looked about the same size as the one I had previously held. I turned a questioning eye to Junpei, who was too busy searching for Kami-knows-what in his obscenely large pile of weaponry.

"Ah, this looks the same," I said.

I flicked the blade for emphasis, testing it out. It wasn't heavy, but it was still too large for me to properly use.

"Oh!" Junpei turned to me with an apologetic expression on his face, cheeks slightly reddened.

He unsheathed the blade, revealing the glimmering, polished metal within the protective layering.

He seemed to enter 'weapons specialist mode' and began telling me all about the naginata. "I designed this weapon for my daughter, Miyuki, who is about your size, and it was too big for her as well. See, this sort of 'unhinges,' I suppose, and separates into three pieces. The blade is attached to the larger front piece, and then the rest of the pole length is broken apart into the two other pieces. You can fold it in on itself to make it shorter, and then open it all the way when you need the reach. You can also remove the blade and store it elsewhere, and then use the nagitana as a three-sectioned staff. This way, it works for both close range blocking and mid-range attacks."

Junpei proceeded to unhinge the segmented pole, separating it into three pieces. He folded the last segment down, and is seemed to almost mold with the rest of the weapon, disappearing from sight but adding an extra weight in the core.

"That should be about the size you need," He said.

I stared at him. Not only was this man a talented swordsman, he was a _genius! _I never would have thought to design a weapon like this, one that could change in size to suit the user and the environment with ease. It was nothing short of _brilliant._

"Amazing," I whispered_._

My father snorted, but I could see him paying Junpei careful attention out of the corner of my eye. It seemed that even he was awed by the product of Junpei's genius.

"Now, you're going to have to practice a lot to get familiar with the curve of the blade, and how you have to use it. Once you get the basics down, you can expand your nagitana to its full size. It's not a matter of your size, Chinatsu-kun, but a matter of proper technique." Junpei informed me, passing me the re-sheathed blade.

Tentatively, I accepted the nagitana from him. It was so much easier to carry now that it was smaller. It was heavier this way, but I could still wrap my entire hand around the body of the pole with little effort. I liked the way it felt- solid, _smooth._

I examined it carefully while my father paid, eying the little dips in the wood and committing them to memory. I was getting good vibes from this weapon, and I didn't want to misplace it.

"Bye now, Chinatsu-kun!" Junpei said.

I nodded in his direction. "Thank you, Junpei-san. For everything."

He grinned, giving me a sideways thumbs up as my father grasped my free hand and pulled me out the door.

"We have to buy your clothes now, alright? I'm sure you're tired, but we have to get this done. I wish your mother would have sent you to me earlier, because we don't have much daylight left." My father prattled on, muttering more to himself than me.

He was practically dragging me down the street, his long legs moving too quickly for my shorter ones to keep up. I stumbled after him, barely able to keep up. Eventually, I just gave up and went slack, allowing him to drag me down the street. It was easier this way, even if it did look stupid.

"Ah, here we are!" My father breathed, sounding relieved.

I looked up, spotting a simple sign that read "Hamasaki Tailoring," and groaned.

**. . .**

"Are sure those aren't senbon you're using?" I asked, wriggling away from the seamstress's prodding hands.

"Of course," She sniffed indignantly, stabbing me again with one of her needles, "I am simply making sure everything you are wearing fits you perfectly."

I scoffed, and she stabbed me with another needle. I had a sneaking suspicion that my clothes already fit and she was just poking me for the fun of it. She _obviously_ needed a hobby.

"There, now, that should do it," The seamstress said, tearing a needle out of my left shoulder blade. "Just give me a moment to tighten up a few seams."

She proceeded to pull the shirt I was wearing so tightly around my middle that my eyes moistened involuntarily. She pulled out her needle and quickly sewed a line of stitches in just below my underarms, making sure my new shirt properly fit around the waist. I held my breath, counting the seconds that ticked by under my breath. _1-2-3-4-5..._

Finally, the seamstress released my top, allowing me to breathe again. I gasped for air, taking the opportunity to inconspicuously (to some extent, anyway) stick my tongue out at her. She didn't seem to notice, as she was far too preoccupied with tearing her strategically placed needles out of my flesh to glance my way.

Eventually, she plucked the last needle from my flesh and deemed me "good to go" before turning to my father and raising a brow.

"What do you think, Makoto-san?"

My father entered the room when she called for him, munching on what appeared to be the last of an apple. When he caught sight of me, my father's eyes widened and seemed to grow- dare I say it- _misty. _

"She looks so grown up!" He gasped, sounding oddly sentimental for the first time in a long while.

I turned in a full circle, getting used to the feel of the new clothing before bothering to take a look at it. I had seen bits of the fabric when the seamstress had been fitting me for the clothing, but I hadn't seen the full outfit until now. I made my way towards the seamstress's mirror, studying myself with an almost cautious eye.

I hardly recognized myself when I looked in the mirror. The girl staring back at me was not someone I knew, or so I thought. But on closer examination, I realized she was indeed me. The girl in the mirror possessed the same violet, white-ringed eyes that I did, complete with almost-invisible eyebrows and a dull expression. I saw my teeth, my nose, my hands. This girl was me, but at the same time, she wasn't. The girl I saw looked mature and... almost pretty. She looked like a real ninja, dressed in a dark grey, gi-like top and an apron skirt emblazoned with the Hozuki Clan symbol over a pair of black leggings. She wore shin guards over her sandals and black, fingerless gloves.

The girl in the mirror looked like a genin- no, a chunin _at least_. She didn't look like me, the seven-year-old with a late start. She looked... like the person I wanted to be- honorable, strong, and wise.

For the first time in what felt like forever, I smiled.

_That is me._

* * *

I can't say my mother was happy when she saw me, but she didn't kill me, which is better than I expected. In fact, she looked almost relieved- if I was reading her correctly, that is. I was never sure.

I knew better than to trust her, anyway.

"Boring clothes," She said around a mouthful of what appeared to be ochazuke.

"Thank you," I replied sarcastically.

She smacked me on the back of the head for that, growling low in her throat. "Don't get smart with me! You were grounded, y'know."

_Shit! She remembered!_

"So? I never leave, anyway."

"Psh, pull that kind of shit with me and you won't go tomorrow, you here?!" My mother hissed, words slurring together in a manner that could only be a side effect of one thing- saké.

I stiffened. "NO!"

"That's what I thought. Now sit down and eat your fuckin' dinner, Chinatsu."

She pushed a bowl of okayu my way, and I begrudgingly sat down on the other side of the kotatsu to eat. I picked up my chopsticks and began picking out the pickles, setting them on the rim of the bowl to eat later. Earlier, I had been absolutely starving, but now I hardly felt like eating. The ball of nerves from before had settled in my stomach, making it hard to choke any of the okayu down without gagging. I settled for sifting through it instead, searching for hidden poison or perhaps my favorite garnish- umeboshi plums. My mother had told me I wasn't allowed to have them earlier, when she had ruled out the punishment I had no intention of following, but I couldn't help but wonder if a few plums were hiding amongst the rice broth.

My mother's eyes were a little unfocused and not quite right when she looked my way, as they always were when she'd had too much to drink. The whites of her eyes were reddened, like a ghoul's. With her red lips and white, white skin, she looked just like a demon from a low budget horror movie- the sort of things civilians liked to watch because they had nothing better to do.

Now was as good of a time as any to ask about the war. I hadn't seen anything noteworthy when we had gone into the village today. In fact, it had been just the opposite. I had seen very, _very _few people about, whereas I normally saw quite a few. The core of the village was by far the busiest area in the entirety of the hidden village, and I had seen next to no one. I knew I couldn't be under a genjutsu because my father would have undoubtedly broken it by now, if there was one at all.

"Mother," I said when she had taken a break from relentlessly attacking her ochazuke, "Is there really a war going on? Or was that just a 'test,' too?"

My mother slammed her fists onto the tabletop with strength great enough to make the okayu fly out of my bowl and then back down into it. _Amazing... _

"What, are yah stupid? Of cour's their's a war goin' on!" She shouted, swaying slightly in her seat.

Those very words, as crude as they might have been, filled me with dread. So it was true, then, this war. Call my mother whatever you like, but she was honest- especially when drunk. My perception of her had since been warped because of the little "test" incident, but she still had a good reputation in terms of her truth to lies ratio. I could still trust her to some extent, even if she was the sort of person who'd poison my food just to watch me choke on it. Almost everyone I knew was that way. It was normal.

"Where?" I asked, scratching at the table in an effort to keep calm.

"Out in no-man's-land. No matter what side wins, they don't want to trash the city. The winning side gets to keep Kiri, so we're keepin' it clean. 'Sides, this is our home. We don't want to destroy it."

No-man's-land was an island off the coast, maybe eight kilometers to the east of Kirigakure. It was uninhabited, as far as I knew, and seemed to function as a makeshift burial ground for Kirigakure's fallen heroes. We had been burying them there since the Founder's Era in an effort to hide their bodies from outside sources, and keep bloodline limits protected.

Funny, now, that we were killing those same people because of Yagura's orders. His orders to maim everyone we could find that possessed a bloodline limit were ridiculous and a poor move on his part. Not only had this sparked a war, but it had caused us to lose control of one of our greatest powers- the bloodlines themselves.

It was a common fact in the shinobi world that bloodlines were the greatest power. Any nin worth their salt would have preferred to face a group of at least four nin over a single, well-trained shinobi with a bloodline limit in battle. Those who possessed secret techniques and bloodlines had a natural advantage over the outside, an element of surprise. While those without bloodlines vastly outnumbered the ones that did, I was unsure of the outcome of this war.

I was also confused as to why everyone seemed so at ease with what was going on. No one had seemed to give the war a second thought! People were being slaughtered and the cowards that weren't in battle weren't doing a damn thing! I was only seven, so I was excused, but the rest of the people here needed to get their acts together. We were still a country, war or not. It was about time we acted like it.

And suddenly, it dawned on me.

I was heading to the Academy because they planned to throw us into battle as soon as we reached genin rank. It was so obvious, I was surprised I hadn't caught it before. The people around us were putting on a show to convince us that we were safe, and that we needed to train harder, and then they were going to throw us onto the battlefield in their place.

This was not a war of bloodlines.

This was Yagura eliminating the failures.

* * *

Author's Note:

*Hiramekarei is the sword currently wielded by Chojuro, previously wielded by Mangetsu. In my timeline, it's like this: Makoto - Mangetsu - Chojuro

I know we saw a picture of the previous Hiramekarei wielder in the manga, but we know nothing about him, so I'll just use Chinatsu's father. You can pretend he is the guy in the manga if you want XD

When Chinatsu says she wants to become the strongest in Kirigakure, she means it. It probably won't happen, seeing as she is going up against the Seven Swordsmen, Yagura, Mei Terumi, and the like. However, I might give her the title of "Mist's Strongest Genin" (ミスト最強の下忍) if she is stuck in this rank for a while (she will be, given my plans for her teammates). I'm not sure yet, but I definitely don't want to over-hype her.

Also: I am sincerely sorry for the slow pacing of these chapters and the amount of fluffy-ness. I love details, and write really slowly. That's why everything is taking _forever. _The next chapter is the Academy, I swear it. It felt wrong just rushing in, and I took a little too much time.

Mark: Given her age in porportion to Zabuza's, she will be (un)fortunately missing out on the blood bath genin exam ritual.

Do let me know what you think! * Also, nagitana are a real weapon, but the folding down part isn't. It would work in real life, but they aren't made that way. I just thought of it, honestly.

UPDATE: One of my awesome reviewers told me there is a weapon like this in Bleach. I don't watch it, so I didn't know. But the weapon is "Ikkaku's Hozukimaru" if you want to Google it! :)

-MSM-


	10. Chapter Nine:

**Chapter Nine: Shattering.  
**

"I'm fine, Mom. Thanks for asking."

"Of course you're fine." She keeps walking. "You're the devil's bride and these are his creatures."

"I'm not the devil's bride."

"He carried you out of the fire and is letting you visit us from the dead. Who else would have those privileges except his bride?"

**. . .**

_This was not a war of bloodlines._

_This was Yagura eliminating the failures._

My stomach clenched as the realization of just what I was dealing with hit me head-on.

This war was **real**.

I had assumed it was, but part of me had always overlooked it, ignoring it and casting it aside as if it was nothing more than an insignificant entity. I had never once expected that I would be _involved_. War wasn't something I had expected to deal with at the age of seven, much less during my lifetime. War was one of my few fears, something I _loathed _with passion but knew there was no way to escape.

War had taken the lives of many of my clan members and allies, leaving Kirigakure consistently half-empty almost all the time. Yagura and many of our previous kage had taken advantage of our strength and power as a village, and had sent us into war many times more than was necessary. Kirigakure nin fed on the darkness in this world, and it away for our own gain. Our village was the bloodiest of all of the Five Great Powers, and our name, "The Bloody Mist," was hardly an exaggeration. I knew that if we went to war, we would win. I had no doubts. Our village had more combat experience than all of the others combined. We'd had six civil wars and five others against neighboring nations and former allies. We clashed with almost everyone we knew, regardless of who they were. It was our way, the Kirigakure way.

But I did not want to die.

I had seen very little in my seven years of life, and I was hardly willing to die so soon. I didn't know who I would be up against in this war, but I knew I would have to plan ahead. Lightning and fire were my greatest weaknesses, and they were by far the most popular elemental releases. I was already at a major disadvantage, even if I was immune to physical attacks. If I was outnumbered, I could be easily overtaken if I didn't play my cards right. In this game of victors, only the sly came out on top.

Yagura's web of lies had constricted around me, locking me in place. I wouldn't be able to escape this time.

_This time, it was truly war._

* * *

My mother quietly told me to go to my room seconds after my realization, and I had followed her instructions without complaint. I hadn't wanted to push her any more than I already had, especially on the eve of my first day at the Academy.

I had not expected to find Yagura waiting for me.

He sat, poised on top of my futon with one of my books in his hand. He didn't look up when I entered, and if I hadn't known better, I would have thought he was some sort of doll. His small, delicate face was as emotionless and blank as I remembered it being, and his bright pink eyes gave him a soft, innocent look that distracted from the darkness of his aura. But I knew Yagura too well to be fooled as easily as that.

I had him memorized. I had committed everything I knew about him to memory at a young age, in an effort to make sure I would never be fooled by an imposter of any kind. I had done well enough, I supposed- well enough to notice that a dark force had slipped into our village and had taken host within Yagura. Yagura's chakra had always been dark, suffocating me with angry evil whenever he drew too close. But this new darkness had been far worse. It had settled within Yagura's very soul, wrapping itself tightly around the very seams that bound his body together until the darkness had choked out what little light was within him.

The Yagura I knew had fallen two years ago.

The darkness had overtaken him, swallowing him whole and taking his place. I wasn't sure who or what the foreign chakra belonged to, but I knew it wasn't Isobu or Yagura's own. I had been just a baby when Isobu had been sealed, but I had never forgotten the feeling of his chakra, even now. Yagura's permeated throughout the village, constantly humming with life and raw strength. They were separate beings, Isobu and Yagura, but they were a team like no other. They were the ones that had tainted this village.

I trusted neither of them.

"Hozuki Chinatsu," Yagura murmured, slamming the book shut, "I have urgent business to discuss with you."

He dropped the book onto the floor and I almost scowled at him for daring to be so careless with possessions that were not his own, but stopped myself just before I did. I didn't want him to kill me for being nothing more than an insolent child.

I nodded, taking a seat on the floor to his right. Yagura may have thought I looked confident, but I was far from it. Inwardly, I was shaking at the idea of having to carry out a conversation of any kind with this Yagura, as if the one I knew hadn't been terrifying enough already. I didn't dare show any fear. That would have gotten me killed in a heartbeat. Instead, I kept it inside and brooded, waiting for the right time to strike. Then, I would have my revenge.

"Now, then... It has come to my attention that you will be starting the Academy tomorrow morning." Yagura said, locking eyes with me.

I nodded. "Yes, sir."

Inwardly, I couldn't help but wonder why he thought this was important enough to warrant a visit to my home. Surely, he could have sent me a letter if what he had to say was really _that _important- and I doubted it was.

It was just the Academy, after all. What could possibly go wrong?

"Very well... I suppose you _are _old enough to know," Yagura muttered, speaking more to himself than me.

"Know what?" I asked crudely, forgetting my place for a split second.

Yagura wasn't my friend and he never would be. He was the Mizukage, and I wasn't allowed to treat him as anything but a kage-levelled shinobi. Being in his presence was a rare thing, and was typically reserved for fellow high level shinobi. I wasn't even a genin, and I had no right to speak to Yagura at all.

"Your parents made a pact with me on the day of your birth, Hozuki Chinatsu. Your mother agreed to allow you to live, as weak as you were, in exchange for political immunity when she carried out her unauthorized killings. She told me that when you came of age and began attending the Ninja Academy, she would forgo her rights as your mother and transfer your guardianship to me. Your father was against this, of course, but managed to strike up a compromise with me in the hopes that his precious daughter would be saved."

_My mother did what?!_

"I'm sure you're wondering why I'm interested in you at all, as any child would be, but I can't divulge my full reasoning just yet. I will tell you one thing, though- your power is a rare one. It has not been seen for at least three generations, and as far as I know, you are the first in over sixty years to possess it. Your natural variation of the Hydrification Technique is something that has only been seen once before- in the original Hozuki Chinatsu, the first jinchūriki of Saiken. Your power is both a blessing and a curse among the Hozuki, and only I have the resources available to keep you from dying a premature death like your predecessor. Your grandmother was killed because she did not understand her weaknesses, but only her strengths. She couldn't see what was truly important until it was too late, and she was forced to pay the price." Yagura said, his voice just barely above a whisper.

His tone was terrifyingly serious, and his eyes seemed to be looking right through me as he spoke.

"I will not allow you to make the same mistake."

"What power?" I asked softly, barely able to form a proper sentence.

Too much was happening all at once. I had only just found out my mother had made some sort of deal with the Mizukage in regards to my future, but now Yagura was telling me I had some sort of _power_?! I was beginning to feel sick...

_Mother, how much have you kept from me?_

"The technique unique to Hozuki Chinatsu- the original- was the capability to break her body down on a molecular level, allowing her to disappear completely from both sight and sensing. She could spread herself so thinly that she would literally _disappear. _She was untraceable in that form. However, Chinatsu didn't consider how weak she was in this state, nor the fact that she was terribly weakened against lighting and fire releases. This lack of insight ultimately led to her demise." Yagura breathed, voice low and raspy.

"And what does this have to do with me?!"

Never in my life had I been able to do what my grandmother could. I had tried to replicate her techniques many times before, and I had never been able to. My grandmother had been the host of the _Six Tails_, and I was just an ordinary child. I didn't have her enormous chakra reserves or fuinjutsu talent. I had _nothing _on her.

_...But why did Yagura think I did?_

"It has everything to do with you, Chinatsu. You are the only person who has even _a smidgen_ chance in hell at replicating her techniques. You look just like her, you sound just like her... You might as well be her, Chinatsu. You were both born weaklings with low chakra reserves, yet your grandmother grew to become one of the most fearsome shinobi of her time as the jinchūriki of Saiken. Like you, your grandmother was woefully unremarkable until she discovered that her weakness could become a strength. She later grew into one the most powerful kunoichis in all of Kirigakure until she was killed after the extraction of Saiken by Iwagakure. We managed to repossess Saiken in time to seal him into his next jinchūriki, an aunt of yours you've likely never heard of. Your aunt was unsuitable as a host and a poor choice as jinchūriki, living only five years with Saiken sealed within her before dying in her own home. Year after year, we reseal him into new jinchūriki, but none have ever managed to connect with him well enough to survive long enough to be of any help to our nation." Yagura said.

I stared at him, unable to form any words. Was he implying that I was a reincarnation of my grandmother? That was preposterous! Even if we _were _similar, it wasn't as if I was the Six Tail's jinchūriki or Kirigakure's most powerful kunoichi- _yet_, anyway. We might share the same name, but we were far from being equals.

"Why couldn't they survive?" I whispered.

"Saiken is poisonous and corrosive to the very core. He eats away at the very soul of his host for years and years until they are so drained that they simply die. For some reason, your grandmother was unaffected. It was not the Hydrification Techniques that gave her the advantage, for we have already tested that, but rather her unique genetics. The power Chinatsu possessed was a good match for Saiken, as she was self-healing and generally unaffected by poisons because her body could simply push them back out. We haven't found anyone like her after more than fifty years of searching... But it seems that you will do just fine." Yagura rasped, reaching out towards me.

I shrieked, jerking away from him and backing up against the wall, intent on getting as far away from him as I could. He couldn't be implying what I thought he was. . . Could he? There was absolutely no way I could become a jinchūriki! Those sorts of commitments were almost always planned at birth, or while the future jinchūriki was still a toddler. They almost never made adult jinchūriki, as far as I knew. It was a lifetime commitment, and it definitely wasn't one I had signed up for.

But my mother...

"It's not what you think," Yagura whispered.

I could feel his breath on my neck, fanning out across my back and shoulders like that of a fiery dragon's. I swallowed, suddenly feeling very light headed and weak, as if someone had drained away all of my chakra. I almost screamed when I realized that someone had. Yagura had stolen my chakra! If that didn't raise a mental red flag, I didn't know what would.

_What do you want from me?!_

"Listen to me, Hozuki Chinatsu," Yagura barked, "I'm not going to hurt you!"

_You're a liar... All of you are liars!_

"Stay away from me," I hissed, twisting away from Yagura's beckoning hands in the hopes that I could escape.

I never even had a chance.

Yagura caught the back of my top with the end of his hooked staff and jerked be backwards, slamming me into the wall behind us. Vaguely, I heard the sound shattering bone- _my bones_- as I came in contact with the wall, but the pain didn't register with me until some time later. I fell to the floor like a stringless marionette, gasping for breath as I was forced to endure the terrible pain as I waited for my body to reform.

"You will listen," Yagura hissed, replacing his staff in its holster.

My heart hammered in my chest, pounding against what was left of my splintered ribcage in a feeble attempt at keeping me alive despite the fact that the odds were not in my favor. In those few seconds, I realized something _horrible. _Yagura wasn't lying about my strange "power", and was instead telling me nothing but the truth. I had never noticed it until now, but he was right. I _wasn't_ like other Hozuki- I felt pain when I was attacked, my bones broke and splintered... Those things were not supposed to happen, yet they did anyway.

There was something horribly wrong with me.

"Hm... You break so easily, Chinatsu-chan. Are you sure you don't believe me?" Yagura said, his tone nothing short of insane.

He laughed hysterically, bending over at the knees as he shook with peels of jovial yet insane laughter. Yagura's soft pink eyes were watery by the time he was finished, and his cheeks were bright red. He looked like a child's toy, the sort that laughed and spoke on command, as if controlled from behind by some sort of invisible puppeteer.

I had never liked dolls.

"As I was saying," Yagura sneered, "You will come to my office tomorrow afternoon, once you have finished with your Academy classes. Tell no one where you are going, and do not tell them to wait for you. You will come to see me, and we will train until you have perfected what I teach you. You will then return home, shower, and head to the Academy. The process will repeat itself every day for the foreseeable future until you have learned everything I desire to teach you- which is _quite _a lot."

I could almost _see _my chances at a place in the Seven Swordsmen catching fire and burning down to nothing but ashes. Yagura rarely-if ever- used blades of any kind, preferring to stick to his staff and mirrors. He specialized in water jutsus that deflected enemy attacks and bijuu mode- which he had a complete, flawless mastery of. What could he possibly have to teach me, and why? My "power"- if you could call getting hurt a _power_- didn't relate to his abilities at all, and I honestly doubted he had anything to teach me. Yagura was obviously just trying to steal the techniques of our clan, or perhaps gather information on private clan matters. I doubted he had anything to offer me whatsoever, but I couldn't tell him that.

"Fine," I muttered, pushing myself up off the floor in disgust.

_You're a monster, Yagura._

Yagura smirked, a wicked grin spreading across his small face. "I know."

I screamed.

* * *

My mother found me lying on the floor the next morning.

She stood over me, arms crossed and scowling. "Get up."

I rolled over onto my stomach, wondering how and why I was unconscious. I had no memories of collapsing, but only of screaming while Yagura looked on in amusement.

_Great, just great. And now I have to go see that psycho every day for the "foreseeable future," too... _I sneered, pitying myself for managing to wind up in yet another undesirable situation.

"You going to Academy or what?" My mother asked, holding out a strange, black box.

I nodded frantically, pawing at the ground in search of my sandals that I didn't remember taking off. I had waited _ages _for this day, and there was absolutely nothing that could keep me away from it.

I didn't mention Yagura, and neither did my mother. She simply continued to hold out the box, looking bored and rather rumpled from her hangover. I wanted to scream at her for selling me out to the Mizukage, but I didn't dare- not when she was hungover, anyway. When she came to her senses, I planned to verbally assault her until she was begging for mercy. That was one thing I had on my mother- intelligence. My mother was far from stupid, but her vocabulary was rather limited when she wasn't flaunting her goods in front of handsome noblemen, whereas mine was large and consistent. I didn't doubt that my mother's frequent drinking was killing her braincells, because her genin written exam scores had been the highest in her year. I couldn't help but wonder where all the intelligence had gone... Had she just thrown it away, like she did with everything else when she grew tired of dealing with it?

My mother yawned, scratching her head with a free hand while she continued to hold the box with the other. Her hair was tangled and pulled back into a high topknot, giving her the look of some kind of bedraggled geisha. Her eyes were dark and almost empty looking, and surrounded by dark, bruise-like rings. I wouldn't have recognized her if it wasn't for the fact that she was wearing the same pinstriped tanktop she _always _wore in the mornings. I could see the Kirigakure ANBU tattoo decorating her left bicep, and couldn't help dream about the day when I'd have the same one. My mother was skilled, but she wasted her power with every second that she didn't take advantage of.

"Open the damn box so I can go back to sleep, dumbass," She rasped, sounding in dire need of a glass of water.

I quirked a brow but accepted the box. Tentatively, I peaked beneath the lid, expecting to see some sort of bomb that was about to explode beneath it. To my surprise, I found nothing out of the ordinary. Instead, all I saw beneath the lid of the box was a wad of mismatched tissue paper. I tossed the lid onto the floor and clawed at the tissue paper with the tips of my long fingernails until it shredded completely and fell away to reveal what looked like a lumpy sack and a set of black gauze.

"Thanks," I muttered sarcastically, "I bet I can _so _use this sack to kill my enemies."

My mother snorted wryly, snatching the box out of my hands and flipping it over, shaking the contents onto the floor. Tissue paper flew everywhere and I almost groaned aloud, knowing that I would be the one to clean it later.

"Look, genius, this is a _pouch _not a sack. You attach it to your front, y'know." My mother said, rolling her eyes.

She moved to touch my stomach, as if she was going to strap the pouch around my waist but wasn't quite sure she wanted to make contact with me at all. Instead, she handed it to me and took several steps back. I blinked in confusion at her bizarre behavior, but said nothing as she bent over to pick of the strips of gauze.

I wrapped the pouch's double straps around my waist, crisscrossing them to form an 'x' as I snapped the buckle together, securing the pouch's position on my abdomen. My mother came up behind me, tugging on the wires until she was satisfied with their positioning before handing me the gauze she had retrieved from the floor.

"Wrap it," She said, "Around your elbows."

"Why?" I asked, wondering what good that would do.

"Just trust me!"

I raised a brow at her, putting my hands on my hips in an attempt to look properly offended. "Trust you?! When have I _ever _been able to trust you?"

My mother opened her mouth to speak, as if she had _anything _to say that was worth my time on this subject matter, but I cut her off. I mimicked the gesture she had used on my uncle, a sharp knifehand- like maneuver that stopped just millimeters from her abdomen. I would have aimed higher, perhaps between the eyes, but I was too small to reach my mother's face and was forced to settle with a lesser equivalent.

"Do you think I'm an idiot?" I asked, crossing my arms across my chest and leaning back against the paper-thin walls.

My mother's eyes narrowed, and she reached out to slap me, but seemed to change her mind at the last second and wound up simply glaring at me as if she thought she could send me straight to the pits of hell with a look alone.

I stood my ground, waiting for her to react physically as she often did, but she never moved. She just _stared._

I swallowed, feeling parched and rapidly weakening. Without wasting another second, I attempted to push past her and head towards the kitchen. But I didn't even get the chance to put my foot out the door.

My mother's bony fingers dug into the sensitive flesh on my forearms, digging in deeply enough to draw blood. I swatted at her, twisting and jerking away from her vice-like grip, but to no avail. No matter how much I struggled, her grip never once wavered. My mother was confident in her strength and I could feel that same self-assurance pulsing through me when she tightened her grip, further cementing us together.

"Trust me," She said, softer this time.

Begrudgingly, I gave in and allowed her to wrap the strange gauze around my elbows. She pulled the material taught, just as she had with the straps that held the now-empty pouch around my waist. It seemed that she didn't trust me, either, not even with my own body.

"You have weak elbows," My mother murmured by way of explanation.

I stared at her, brows wrinkling in confusion. How on Earth would wearing _gauze _around my elbows help them in any way? At the end of the day, gauze was simply glorified strips of non-sticky tape- and they definitely wouldn't be able to do anything for my elbows.

"How-?"

"Seals. Those aren't just any old bandages, y'know. They're infused with chakra from an old seal used by medic nin _way _back in the Warring States Period. They're kind of a relic, since they once touched the Queen, so don't go loosing them, alright?"

"Who's the Queen?" I asked dumbly, feeling horribly excluded, as if my parents had been withholding even more information from me than they already had.

_Yeah, like that's even remotely possible._

"The Queen? Oh, that's your granny! The first Hozuki Chinatsu." My mother explained as she tucked a strand a loose strand of her long, ivory hair back into her topknot with her free hand.

_Oh. _That made more than enough sense. My grandmother, the one I had been named after, was the husband of the founder of our clan. She was my mother's mother, and my supposed "past self," if Yagura's words were anything to go by. She was the original founding mother of everything we stood for as a clan, but she had hardly been a queen. Instead, she had been a thief and a liar, and had passed her ridiculous genetic mutation on to me. I used to idolize her, but now, I wasn't sure. There was too little known about her that I could access, seeing as she had died far too young, back in the Warring States Era as a thieving jinchūriki, as a _traitor. _Yagura hadn't told me these things, but I could read between the lines well enough to see that there was far more to her story than he let on.

I was the reincarnation of a traitorous, lying, conniving _Queen. _

"I have to go," I whispered, slipping beneath my mother's right elbow and out into the hallway.

She turned around, as if she reaching out to grab me but stopped herself just before she did. Her pale, bony arms dropped to her sides and her fists clenched into two tight balls of bony flesh and jagged, blood-red nails, but she did not move forward.

"_Wait,_" She whispered, sounding almost _desperate_ to speak to me before I left.

I did not wait.

She had never waited for me, never spoken to me fondly like a mother should... She was a terrible person, even I knew that. I would not give her the satisfaction of my attention any longer, not when she still treated me like garbage for no reason other than the fact that I _existed. _My mother loved scandal, bloodshed, and death. She fed on them like a ghoulish siren, sucking up her victim's souls before they could even scream. Those things were much harder to hide when you had a child about, especially from the father of said child.

My parents were not good at being parents. They thought they could hide things from me, but their efforts were futile. I saw through every one of their little tricks before they expected me to. Each time they threw out another weapon, I countered them with a few pawns of my own. In our family, it was a game of war-

And the loser always dies in the end.

I didn't bother to look back as I broke into a sprint, tearing down the hallway and up the stairs towards the front front door. I passed Suigetsu, who sat on the floor chewing on one of his _many _teething rings without a care in the world. He looked up when I passed, already raising his arms to ask to be picked up. I leapt over him, ignoring his whine of "Nee-chan!" and his soft whimpers as he watched me pass through the already open front door. I couldn't... I _couldn't_ look at him the way I once had after the Kaguya invasion. Not when he had killed those four men as easily and as cheerfully as he played with his toys, not when he had surpassed me_ without even trying_.

I hated him. I hated his sweet, innocent face and his stupidly bright eyes, and the way he liked to cling to my legs when I was trying to practice my kenjutsu. I hated the way he smiled and drooled all over my clothes and wiped dirt on my bed sheets, and the fact that he stole all the fruitcups and borrowed my books without asking even though he couldn't read...

And I hated loving him.

Attachment, emotions, _love- _these were all burdens that had no place in the life of a shinobi. I shouldn't love Suigetsu regardless of his faults, and I shouldn't have wanted to pick him up whenever he cried out without giving a single damn about the consequences. He was only m_y cousin_ for the love of Kami! He was _Mangetsu's _little brother, not mine.

_A shinobi doesn't fee_l, I thought, _a shinobi doesn't feel_.

But I was just a little girl.

I couldn't stop the tears that began to pool in the corners of my eyes, nor could I stop them when they spilled over the edge. II could only stumble to the ground as the tears began to drip down the curvature of my cheekbones and onto the ground, leaving only salty tracks on my flesh and a bitter taste in my mouth behind. I couldn't stop the hoarse screams that fell from my lips as I sobbed my eyes out, curling into a ball in the dirt.

These past few days had been too much for me to handle. _Hell_, they would have been too much for anyone to handle... But I was not just anyone. I was Hozuki Chinatsu, daughter of Akane the Bloodthirsty and Makoto the Brave, ANBU level shinobi of the honorable shinobi village Kirigakure. I couldn't afford to allow my emotions to slip out of my control, especially when the stakes were this high. This was a war we were dealing with, and that was far from a laughing matter.

Eventually, I fell silent. I had no energy, no emotion to spare. I had cried myself weak and tired, but I didn't have the time or the patience to be either of those things. I had to be strong. I pushed myself up off the ground and stumbled along the trail like a clumsily-used puppet, my posture stiff to the point of pain as I forced myself to abandon all my inhibitions and simply _move_. Today was my first day at the Academy, and I couldn't afford to cling to the shreds of desire that kept me chained to my own weaknesses any longer.

If I wanted to be strong, I had to abandon everything and everyone I loved. I had to be prepared to destroy, to conquer, to end it all in a single fiery moment of blade against bone. I could not show weakness or attachment- those things were evil, the equivalent of the Deadliest Sins in the world of the shinobi.

I had spent my entire life waiting for this day, and no one could stop me now.

Cracking my knuckles, I began to make my way up the stairs to the Kirigakure Ninja Academy. Behind me, a fireball exploded, splintering the very ground I had just been standing on seconds before. I did not flinch.

One by one, I climbed the stairs.

* * *

Author's Note:

Akane's tattoo is of this symbol: 水 (Water, _Mizu_)

I know I said we'd get proper Academy time this chapter but I just couldn't fit it in, and this one is already so long... I'm_ so_ sorry guys~! I hope to have the next chapter out soon.

Also: Chinatsu's power is... not that great, you will soon see. It actually really sucks, especially for Chinatsu. It's not an "almighty power" or something like that, but more or less a shitty mutation that she inherited from her grandmother- who died because of the same. It's not a good power, but Yagura thinks he can use it.

I had such terrible writer's block while trying to write this chapter, so I apologize for the low quality. I'm quite stressed, so my muse appears to have taken refuge somewhere that I can't find her TT^TT Plus, my laptop died so all of my stuff is lost. Yay for phone posts, right? *unanimous no*

Also: I began writing a Kirigakure SI! Please check it out if you have time! It's called "Fish Out of Water" and can be found on my profile page.

-MSM-


	11. Chapter Ten:

**Chapter Ten: Everyone Hates Mondays  
**

"Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host. But anger is like fire. It burns it all clean."  
― Maya Angelou

**. . .**

_I had spent my entire life waiting for this day, and no one could stop me now._

_Cracking my knuckles, I began to make my way up the stairs to the Kirigakure Ninja Academy. Behind me, a fireball exploded, splintering the very ground I had just been standing on seconds before. I did not flinch._

_One by one, I climbed the stairs._

**. . .**

A tall woman with impossibly long auburn hair sat, cross-legged and contemplating, at the very top of the stairwell. She had a distinct, almost regal vibe about her, not unlike my mother when she bothered to exert the effort.

Instantly, I disliked her. She was too much like my mother- too proud and sharp-eyed to trust.

Carefully, I made my way up the stairwell, intent on heading inside without confrontation. I didn't like the look of this woman, as young as she might have been. I could only see one of her eyes, and that's _never _a good thing. There was no telling what she could have hidden beneath her bangs- a Byakugan, perhaps? I had heard my parents whispering about a Kirigakure shinobi that had obtained one of Konohagakure's "precious" eyes and I couldn't help but wonder if it was her. Why else would you hide an eye?

"Hozuki Chinatsu?"

I jumped at the sound of my name, swiveling around on the balls of my heels to face the woman. I nodded, but couldn't help but grit my teeth. This woman was obviously here to relay some sort of horrible message from Yagura. If she really was the one with the Byakugan, then I wanted _nothing _to do with her.

"You're a bit late, but I think you can make it if you run." The woman said, pointing a well manicured finger in the direction of the door.

I squinted, unable to see much of what was inside the building. "Make it where?"

I supposed she meant my classroom, but I couldn't be sure. If she knew my name and what I looked like, it could be assumed that someone had sent her here, and it was obvious that said person was Yagura. I couldn't trust her in the slightest, not even with something as simple as directions. I had no idea what she was capable of, and underestimating her could prove deadly.

"Class," The woman said, rising to her feet from her position on the ground.

I was suddenly _very _aware of how small I was. The woman was hardly tall, but she towered over my small figure in a manner that was almost terrifying. She would have scared me if I had been of weaker constitution-

But I was not.

I met her single visible eye with both of my violet ones, fixing her with a dead-on impersonation of one of my mother's most terrifying glares. I expected her to run away in terror, but she did not. Instead, the woman chuckled and leaned over to pat the top of my head as if I was some sort of dog.

"Now, now, everyone gets nervous. There's no need to be ashamed!"

I snorted, turning away from her and crossing my arms in discontempt. Adults were _always _this way, no matter where I went. They all seemed to view me as a weak, helpless child and couldn't seem to resist coddling me.

I skirted around her legs and through the open doors. The woman closed the door behind me and followed suit, herding me towards what I could only hope was the right classroom. The woman meandered down the narrow hallways with ease, and I struggled to keep up with her long legged stride. I was forced to jog in order to keep up with her, and my luck only got worse when she lead me to a rounded stairwell.

"Come on, we have to get upstairs before they take attendance!"

By then, I was panting for breath and barely able to stumble along behind her. I was sapped for energy and dehydrated, with close to no chakra thanks to Yagura's visit from yesterday. I had run off before I could eat or drink anything this morning, and it was clear that I was in for a long day. I groaned out loud, swaying in place instead of following the strange woman like I should have. I was simply _too tired _to function.

The woman grabbed my arm, pulling me up the stairs behind her. I dragged my feet, going limp in her hold like I had done only yesterday with my too-excited father. The woman simply pulled me along, like a strong ocean current.

We reached the classroom only moments later. The woman reared back, swinging herself around in one huge circle before she hurled me into the classroom with strength I didn't know she possessed. I crashed into a row of desks, knocking a small, blue-haired boy out of his seat and onto the ground with me. No one around us moved at all- everyone just _stared. _Even the teacher, an obviously bored blue-haired man of about twenty, didn't dare to move.

Finally, I stood up, dusting off the front of my skirt with my now rapidly perspiring palms. My nerves were beginning to get the better of me, it seemed.

"You're Hozuki Chinatsu, I take it?" The teacher ground out, speaking through gritted teeth.

I nodded absentmindedly, twiddling with the hem of my skirt while I attempted to think of a reasonable excuse for my late appearance. The teacher just rolled his eyes and waved me over to the nearest empty seat, which just so happened to be on the left side of the boy I had knocked over only seconds ago. I plopped down next to him, crossing my legs in an effort to look at least a little mature. The boy blushed, pushing his too-big glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"Ano- I'm Chōjūrō," He whispered.

"NO TALKING!" The teacher shrieked, slamming his fist onto his desktop.

I rolled my eyes, flopping back into my seat and propping my legs up onto the table. I could already see where this was going- easy classes, easy _everything, _and soon enough, I'd graduate.

_Piece of cake, _I thought.

* * *

Oh, how wrong I was.

Only seconds after I had settled into my place had the teacher jumped up onto the table for no good reasonb and activated his previously hidden Byakugan. It turned out that he had been the one to defeat the Hyūga, not the woman that had practically thrown me into him earlier.

He was an odd one, this man. He was obviously very protective of his special eyes, but hardly paid us any attention when he wasn't shouting about Kami-knows-what. His name was Ao, which he had somehow managed to carve into the board using a piece of chalk when I wasn't looking, and he was obviously _very _strange. He preached about masculinity and maintaining the proper image for at least ten minutes, mostly speaking to my seatmate, the tiny Chōjūrō. Chōjūrō looked _terrified _by the end of his spiel, and I couldn't help but feel bad for him. He hardly stood a chance.

_Too bad, really._

The rest of my classmates looked just as scared. Only a careful few looked particularly confident in anything, and even then they seemed to weaken under Ao's glare. I did not. Instead, I glared at him without fear, daring him to challenge me. Byakugan or not, I could take him, I _knew_ I could.

Being in the presence of such failure was almost _invigorating. _I fed on their weakness, furthering my ego with every second that ticked by. My classmates may have looked tough, but I doubted any of them could even _read_, which placed me even higher above them in terms of capabilities.

_Or so I thought._

"Alright!" Ao shouted, still on top of the table for reasons unknown, waving a rather suspicious clear sack filled with small papers in his free hand, "We'll now be testing your chakra natures!"

I bolted upright, recrossing my legs and returning them to their position beneath the desk. _Finally, _we were doing something! I'd had enough of hearing him talk.

Ao slipped from behind his desk and headed in my direction, weaving between the desks to hand each student a tiny piece of manilla paper. Each time the paper touched the hands of its beholder, it would react almost violently to their chakra. Those with the Earth chakra nature suddenly found themselves without any paper to speak of, and were instead left with a pile of clumpy dirt, while the fire affinative's papers were suddenly aflame. Smoke and dirt rapidly filled the classroom, making it hard to see what was going on. From what I _could _see, I determined that while some of the papers didn't seem to change- lightning and wind- those with more extreme chakra natures were suddenly left with fragments of chakra-induced elements. I was yet to see any water, much to my genuine shock. My classmates were suddenly burning up their desks, but no one seemed to be able to produce any water. This was Kirigakure, in the Land of _Water_. The classroom should have been sopping wet!

But it wasn't.

Ao handed me my sheet, but I was far too distracted to think of anything other than how utterly _wrong _this all was. I was hardly even disturbed when water began pouring onto my lap, spilling all over the floor and onto Chōjūrō as well. We shared a glance, simultaneously raising our empty hands.

"Water," I said.

_Big surprise, _I thought sarcastically, _You're only made of it, after all..._

"Me too," Chōjūrō said with a nod.

"Doesn't look like anyone else is, though," I muttered, watching with disinterest as yet another one of my classmates managed to set themselves and the surrounding area on fire.

"All of you, to the fields!" Ao barked, covering his face with the edge of his haori, "And put out those damn fires!"

I could only assume that Ao expected Chōjūrō and I to extinguish the flames, much to my irritation. I had almost no chakra left, and now he was asking us to _put out fires?! _Wasn't he a Jounin? And what did he expect Chōjūrō to do, anyway? Put it out with tears?

"Ano... I think we need to..." Chōjūrō murmured, avoiding my eyes.

I rolled my eyes, glaring at a cracked ceiling tile that had fallen over into the corner during all the chaos. "Speak up! I can't understand you when you talk like that!"

Chōjūrō blushed heavily, resembling a small, blue-haired tomato. I resisted the temptation to roll my eyes yet again. This boy was _far _too unconfident to amount to anything. I had to fix him before he ruined himself and his future, and brought great shame to his clan.

"Let's put out the fire," I suggested, filling in where he left off.

Chōjūrō nodded again, looking sheepish. "Right."

Without waiting for him to follow, I carefully formed the handseals for "dragon," "tiger," and "hare," which activated the 'Water Release: Wild Water Wave' technique. I gathered as much of my chakra as I could into my chest and spat out a small trickle of water, dousing the flames until they went out. I looked up from my task and locked eyes with a thoroughly shocked Chōjūrō.

"You can already mold chakra?!" He cried, casting aside his previously shy nature.

I snorted, "_Of course! _Can't you?"

My mother had made sure I was well versed in casting various ninjutsu. I had already known my chakra nature, or at least assumed it, before today had even begun. My mother had been drilling me since I could walk. I knew almost all the hand signs and what they did, but I couldn't do much in terms of jutsus yet.

"Um... Isn't there supposed to be more water?" Chōjūrō asked quietly, looking more than a little ashamed.

I scowled, "Yeah. But I can't do that yet."

My chakra reserves weren't developed enough for that yet. Mangetsu had been able to use this technique perfectly when he was my age, able to send a waterfall of frigid water into the faces of each enemy he faced. I spat out more of a trickle, like a broken sink pipe rather than a "waterfall". It seemed that no matter what I did, I would _always _be outclassed by Mangetsu. He had done everything faster than I had, and his results were always better than my own. Mangetsu was... perfect.

I _hated _him.

I would kill him one day- and my mother, too. As soon as I was strong enough, I'd eradicate them both and take their places as a Swordsman and clan heiress. It was only a matter of time, I decided, before I got my just desserts.

And then it would finally be all about me.

I had always been the shadow child, the one everyone knew but hardly cared about, clinging to shreds of my sanity while everyone else around me simply moved on with their lives. I had never been the center of attention, nor had I been the outcast. I had been the rigid one, cursed with a spine of figurative steel and the mind of someone far too mature for my young body. I had wished to be dumb once, a long time ago.

The dumb ones don't understand pain. They face it fearlessly, and they never shy away. I had known pain, I had _always _known pain. Other girls my age liked to play and laugh, but I did not. I had grown bitter and angry while they had grown chipper and bright. I wasn't like other girls, but I so very badly wanted to be. I wanted to be one of those pretty yet dumb girls that made friends easily and always seemed to shine with true happiness. I was dark and empty, always alone despite always wanting _more. _I wanted to be like them, blending in without effort and achieving their dreams.

But I was not and I never would be.

I was Hozuki Chinatsu, third in line for Hozuki Clan head. I was a kunoichi and an heiress. I was supposed to project good breeding and exquisite manners, not happiness and laughter. Feelings had never been something my relatives had encouraged. They were useless, unnecessary attachments that bound us all to worthless entities. Love would distract me. Friends would distract me. My goals were far more important than my happiness, and my goals were to be achieved at all costs.

I couldn't let myself feel anything but rage. I wasn't allowed to. Yagura had made that rule long ago, when I had still seen the world as a beautiful thing.

Now, I saw the world for what it truly was- nothing but shards of black, angry _hell._

"Funnel your rage," Yagura had said, "And turn it into a weapon. But feel nothing else, for the other emotions are useless."

I would follow his advice, no matter what happened... Even if it killed me.

_Yagura is absolute._

* * *

The tip of one of Chōjūrō's tiny fingers brushed against my shoulder.

"Are you okay, Chinatsu-san? You zoned out!" He asked, pushing his glasses further up the bridge of his nose in an effort to calm himself down.

I nodded dazedly, staring at a small smudge of soot on top of one of the nearby desks. My head was positively _burning._

"Ao-san is probably waiting for us," Chōjūrō said, "Perhaps we should head outside with the others."

I nodded again, following after him like a dog. My heart was pounding and my skull throbbed with every step I took. It felt as if someone was stabbing me repeatedly in every one of my nerves, but when I looked for a senbon, I found nothing. Not a trace. Just skin, dry and cracked with dehydration.

Chōjūrō held the door open for me like a gentleman, but I was too out of it to thank him properly. Instead, I simply passed him by. Chōjūrō was a stepping stone, a tool I could user to advance further in life. I did not need to thank him- in fact, he should be thanking me for merely gracing him with my presence. He was weak, and I was strong.

_The weak are meat the strong eat._

"It's not my business... But are you okay, Chinatsu-san?"

_Am I? Have I ever been "okay"?_

There were so many things I wanted to say to him then, but I couldn't form the words. I could tell him how I felt or what I thought...

"You're right," I said, "It's not your business."

Chōjūrō fell silent. I almost felt bad for him, but I didn't dare. He wasn't like me, and I couldn't treat him as an equal. Say what you will about me, but I was better than that. Lying was wrong outside of mission protocol, and I certainly couldn't lie to Chōjūrō now. It was wrong, just_ wrong_.

He was beneath me.

Together, we trekked down the steep craggy slope that led to the shoreline. The rest of our class was lined up on the sand, as dull-eyed and complacent as sheep heading to a slaughter. Ao stood atop the breaking waves, walking seamlessly above and around the waves as if he had been doing so his entire life.

"-and you gather the chakra into the bottoms of your feet, like so," Ao shouted, fragments of his sentences disappearing amongst the roaring waves.

Chōjūrō and I made our way to the front of the line. I kicked a girl out of the way to make room for Chōjūrō who watched in bewilderment as I stomped over to the water's edge. Without waiting for instructions, I leapt onto the oncoming wave and stalked over to my supposed "sensei."

"This is useless to me!" I cried, stomping my feet for emphasis.

Ao rolled his single visible eye, having replaced his eye-patch while Chōjūrō and I had been inside, dousing the fire.

"I expected this," He muttered, looking to the sky.

"EXPECTING WHAT?" I screamed, "I CAN'T HEAR YOU!"

I could, but I wanted to give him a chance to correct himself before he dared to speak to me in such a manner again. Who did he think he was, the Mizukage?

"You might know how to do this," Ao said with a scowl, "But they don't! How about you think about them instead of yourself for once?"

He pointed to my classmates, who were all blinking at us in confusion- even Chōjūrō.

"They can all drown if they're stupid enough to fail something as easy as this," I spat, turning away from Ao with a sneer.

Admittedly, I was laying it on a little too thick, but if my classmates were honestly dumb enough to fail the Water Walking Excercise, then I had lost all hope in humanity. It was so simple! Even I had gotten it right after two tries. _Suigetsu _could do it, and he still wore diapers!

"And on that note, why don't we all give it a try?" Ao cried, sounding forcibly enthusiastic and almost sickeningly happy.

My classmates tentatively made their way to the water. A few of them managed to stay upright, but a vast majority crashed beneath the waves and came up gasping and flailing. A boy a good deal taller than me mastered it right away, and he used his new-found skill to come over and punch me in the face.

"Stop being so damn cocky, brat!" He cried.

_We're the same age!_

I wiped my now-swollen lower lip with the edge of my shirtsleeve, glaring at him as I did. "It's not without reason!"

"Oh, what, so you can stand on water? Woohoo, good for you, so can I!" He shouted, his dark brown eyes growing sharp with irritation.

"You must not know who I am, weakling, if you think you can hold a candle to me," I spat, igniting a challenge_._

I was bored. I had been all day, from the moment Ao had begun speaking up until right about now. The fire in the classroom had been the only event even worth reflecting on, and even that was hardly very interesting. I had expected so much more from my first day, and I had definitely been let down.

"I don't care who you are! You'll never defeat me!" The boy screamed, his face reddening with anger.

I rolled my eyes, but took my fighting stance. The boy followed suit. I readied what little chakra I had left, gathering it in my palms and preparing to start anew on my handseals. I was about to activate my clan's strangulation technique, but something knocked me off my feet and sent me crashing through the waves like a stringless marionette.

The water shocked me, but not as much as the surge of anger did. My chakra seemed to darken, teeming with ferocity, only seconds after I had been submerged. I raised my hands, flexing my normally pale fingers. Even with what little light I had, the appearance of malicious ebony chakra wasn't hard to see. It spread throughout my veins, giving off a ghastly green glow that seemed to ooze from beneath my skin like slime. My skin darkened, blackening as if I had been burned.

I saw _red_.

A hiss slipped through my parted lips, sending a tiny stream of bubbles towards the surface. I inhaled, sucking in as much of the chilly sea water as I could, and then released. I counted down under my breath- _five, four... three-two, one_- and waited for the horrible dark chakra to recede.

Nothing.

I willed myself to keep calm, but I wasn't sure I would be able to. My skin was starting to prickle with heat, as if invisible flames were licking my skin. I rolled one of my wrists over, pulling at the skin. It broke away, shredding into tiny, bloodless fragments. They disappeared, leaving a horrible, empty place that went down to the bone.

_... Was that the power Yagura spoke of?!_

Frantically, I swam for the surface. I broke the surface of the water, accidentally swallowing a mouthful of wayward seawater as a wave broke overhead. I did my best to calm myself down, treading water while I tried to gather my thoughts _and _my chakra.

"NO FIGHTING!" Ao barked as soon as he saw me, as if I had been the one to cause the problem in the first place.

_That was too close..._

"Isn't this _Ninja _Academy?" I shouted after spitting out a mouthful of seawater.

Ao seized my arm, pulling me from the water with a shake of his head. "Fighting isn't all there is to being a shinobi, you know."

The boy from before scowled when he heard Ao's words, crossing his arms across his chest and looking away.

"Utakata! Get over here and _apologize _to her! And you, Hozuki, do the same!" Ao barked.

He shoved me foreward, and I crashed into Utakata, sending us both back into the water. Ao pulled us back up less than a milisecond later, looking thoroughly pissed off.

"Both of you- shore, _now._" He hissed through gritted teeth.

I kicked him in the shins before breaking into a sprint. Utakata- or whatever his name was- followed closely behind me. We didn't speak when we reached the shore. I only kicked at the sand, intent on sending it flying into Ao's ridiculous hairstyle or perhaps into the clothes of my classmates. They were pissing me off, all of them. First, they started a fire, and then they gave me Utakata? _Unbelievable. _

"I'm the Mizukage's trainee," I moaned, falling to my knees in the sand, "And I shouldn't have to deal with this!"

I deserved the utmost respect of those around me. I had been chosen specifically by Yagura to become his disciple and assistant, and I was above them all in terms of status. They had no right to treat me the way they had!

_Punish them_, A small, sharp voice hissed from somewhere within the recesses of my mind.

I nodded in agreement. For once, my subconscious was right. Careful to keep from making a sound, I reached into my now sopping wet pouch and pulled out a kunai. I locked eyes with Utakata, daring him to try anything to stop me. When he didn't, I lunged. My kunai clashed with one of his own, sending a spray of sparks onto the sand.

"I'll kill you!" I screamed, pulling out a second kunai and hurling it at him with all of my strength.

_How dare you humiliate me._

The kunai _almost_ embedded itself in Utakata's forehead. It would have hit home, if not for the fact that Ao caught it before I could do any real damage.

"I said," Ao hissed, "_No fighting._"

His voice was different from before- more dangerous, almost sharp. I swallowed, feeling a bead of ice-cold sweat trickle down my forehead as I struggled to remain composed.

"What're you gonna do to us?!" Utakata whimpered, suddenly looking more like a terrified seven year old than he had just moments before.

"Private lessons."

Utakata and I shared a pained glance. I could hardly imagine what terrors awaited us in these so called "private lessons". There was no telling what Ao could do, especially with those Byakugan of his.

He dragged us both back into the building and into the classroom, where he dropped us with little care onto the floor in front of his desk. I got up first, clawing at his back like a feral cat.

"You can't do this to me!" I shrieked, "I'm Hozuki Chinatsu!"

Ao turned to face me, and his eye patch slid away. His Byakugan activated, swirling bright hellish white against the clouded, smoky air. I swallowed what felt like my tongue, choking on nothing but dry air.

"Sit the fuck down, brat." Ao hissed.

I sat.

Utakata followed suit. I could see tiny beads of sweat dripping down his neck out of the corner of my eye, and I almost smirked. He wasn't so tough now, was he?

Ao leant back against the solid wood of his desk, crossing his arms across his chest with discontempt.

"I know you two are a bit advanced, but can you _please _try to hold it together? I'm only watching those lower-level brats until their proper instructor comes back from a mission. Then the three of us and anyone else that shows promise will go into our own classroom. No more baby stuff, alright? But you'll have to wait it out. Those are five year olds out there. I can't just leave 'em!" Ao explained, looking less angry and more concerned than I had expected.

"And it's hard enough watching thirty five babies without having to pull you two off each other every six seconds. Grow up, will you?"

I suddenly felt almost _bad. _Ao obviously had enough on his plate without the two of us causing trouble... But I just couldn't help myself!

"Sorry," Utakata murmured, glaring at the floor.

_It was your fault anyway, dumbass._

Ao turned to me, mismatched eyes expectant, almost coaxing me to speak. I looked away, staring at the tips of my boots. There was no way I could apologize, not to him!

"I'm waiting," Ao murmured.  
I shook my head, hiding my eyes in my bangs.

Ao sighed, crouching down beside me. "C'mon, kid. Just one little word and this whole thing can be over with. How's that sound?"

"Terrible," I muttered, fiddling with the zipper that sealed the front of my pouch shut.

_I'm not going to apologize for something that wasn't my fault!_

"It was your fault just as much as it was his. Own up to it."

"**No**."

"'Guess I'll have to punish you, then. Ten laps around the village. No breaks."

I spat bitterly on the ground.

* * *

Ao had me outside running drills soon enough. He dragged Utakata out soon enough, and the two of us spent the rest of the morning running suicides around the island. I saw Mangetsu multiple times, and Yagura once. He had scowled at me disapprovingly, eying Utakata with a critical eye. Yagura's eyes had traveled from my split lip to the blood stains on Utakata's teeshirt, and then back to my face.

"We'll discuss this later," He had muttered, shaking his head in utter disappointment.

Utakata had glanced between us, looking rather shocked. "Wait, you were _serious?! _You're the Mizukage's trainee?"

I ignored his question and broke into a sprint, intent on returning to the Academy before either of my parents could find out what happened. I didn't trust Utakata, or anyone, really, with the answer to that question. Yagura had made me swear secrecy, and I was already on thin ice as it was. It wouldn't be a good idea to add more fuel to the fire.

_You'll get burned._

Utakata trailed behind me, far too slow and steady for my tastes. I was faster than he was, but I didn't have enough stamina to keep going for very long. Every few minutes, I would slip behind him and Utakata would speed up, leaving me in the dust.

I growled, pushing myself harder in order to pass him again. We kept it up for a good five kilometers, but then the Academy came into view and we were finally released from our punishment. Utakata and I parted ways, only to wind up together _yet again _when Ao began leading us to a different classroom and what I hoped was a different class. I was tired of the basics, and I wanted a challenge.

Perhaps that was what I had been after when I challenged Utakata... A real fight. I had wanted someone who would fight me without reservation, someone that would hit me with their absolute best each time they tried.

_Utakata..._

"You four should be more challenged in _my _class," Ao bragged as he escorted us to our new classroom.

"Four?" Utakata and I said at the same time.

A tentative, shaky hand brushed against the small of my back, and I jumped. "Chōjūrō!?"

I couldn't imagine what he'd done to qualify as my "equal." Mastering the Water Walking Exercise was hardly anything to brag about, especially when he was just as old as I was and should have already known what to do.

_So why is he here?!_

"Hi," Chōjūrō whispered.

A too-tall bluenette stood beside him, blocking out the light behind her. She looked like a Hoshigaki, with blue-grey skin and gill-like markings that stretched across her cheekbones. Her eyelids were dark, as if they had been blackened with tar, and her irises were disturbingly small, shifting between Utaka's form and my own as if she was seeing right through us.

"Hoshigaki Kasumi," She said by way of greeting, holding out a thin, long-fingered hand.

I brushed her off, turning away. "Hands off, peasant."

You could have heard a pin drop in the room if you so desired. My classmates shared an unreadable glance, their eyes glittering brightly beneath the bright hall lights. I couldn't help but wonder what they were thinking.

Moments later, Ao burst out laughing.

"You're a riot, you know?" He said with a chuckle, wiping tears of mirth from his eyes with the sleeve of his haori.

I glared at him. "That was not my intention."

He patted my shoulders in a manner similar to that of my father's usual behavior. "Lighten up, Hozuki."

"Lighten what up? I'm not carrying anything!"

Ao blinked slowly, looking both confused and surprised. "It's an... expression."

"A _what_?"

"Nevermind," Ao muttered, waving his hand dismissively, "We're already here."

Ao rapped a nearby white-washed wooden door with the edges of his knuckles. The sounds of chatter within the room beyond the door instantly subsided. I heard a set of footsteps approaching, and then the sound of a lock unsnapping, allowing us inside. On the other side of the threshold stood a stone faced bluenette with sickly grey skin and a giggly, almost effeminate brunette. The bluenette scowled as soon as he saw us, but moved aside to allow us inside.

Ao promptly passed us by, heading to the front of the room without a second glance. A single table at the very back of the classroom was open, with four empty seats and two filled ones. I cursed under my breath when I realized that they bluenette and brunette from before took up the two end-row seats. With my luck, I'd end up next to the one that couldn't shut up.

I did.

Utakata slid into the first empty seat, taking up the space next to the chilly bluenette. The Hoshigaki girl followed him, slipping into the next available seat. Chōjūrō- _the bastard_- took the empty seat right after her, leaving me with the remaining spot next to the hyperactive brunette. He giggled, patting the seat as if beckoning me to his side. I bumped his arm out of the way with my hip, and begrudgingly slumped into the seat.

Right away, Ao launched into his usual lecture mode, animatedly jabbering about something I hardly cared to listen to. He didn't bother to introduce us to the class, which I was thankful for, but rather continued on as if we weren't even there.

To quell my boredom, I pulled a kunai from its holster and proceeded to carve the kana for my name into the flaking wood. Chōjūrō could _clearly _see what I was doing, but he never said a word. Instead, he fidgeted anxiously under Ao's non-existent scrutiny. Flakes of cheap, aged wood fell to the floor around my feet, piling up in a manner that was neither neat nor impossible to see.

_For someone with such powerful eyes, Ao sure is blind, _I grumbled.

I was just about to consider dumping the wood shavings down the collar of the perky peach-haired girl sitting in front of me when Ao uttered something that caught my interest.

"...And while the Summoning Technique is far from necessary for the every day shinobi, it's certainly helpful in combat. A shinobi should always take advantage of every single opportunity they have to gain the upper hand on an enemy. In some cases, a summoned creature can be the difference between life and death. That is why each and every one of you will end this year with a summoning contract. You might not always use the summoning- in fact, you might never use it- but it's always better to be safe than sorry." Ao said with a grin.

I sat up straight. _Finally!_

"What's your summon then?" The perky peach-haired girl that had previously been sitting silently in front of me cried.

She sounded far too enthusiastic, but I honestly couldn't blame her. I was ecstatic as well, though I was better at hiding it. Obviously, these students were advanced in capabilities but not in emotional control. Why else would they be studying something as advanced as summoning if they were on par with the class I had previously been in. Summoning was a tricky thing, even for the advanced shinobi. It required good chakra control and a strong resolve... Did anyone here- besides me, that is- have either of those things? Would even one person be able to master the summoning arts?

Ao was too hopeful, thinking each one of us were capable of the summoning technique. I doubted anyone besides myself and perhaps the Hoshigaki girl, who was obviously blessed with a genetic affinity with sharks, could pull any of this off. I didn't know about anyone else, but if looks told me anything, I had little to hope for.

_I will rule you all._

"I summon the shark, but I rarely use it," Ao said, low voice jarring me from my musings.

"How come?" Someone else asked.

"I'm an Intelligence Specialist, kids. I rarely go out into battle, but when I do, the shark is a useful asset. Any summon is, really. Now, today we will be discovering your affinative species- but I don't want any of you rushing into a contract just yet. Every summon, no matter how big or small, requires a lot of effort and shouldn't be underestimated. Summoning contracts last beyond the grave as long as the signed parchment is intact, which means that a summoning contract is no joke. Each one of you will find out your destined animal today, but I don't want anyone to sign a contract. Is that clear?"

Ao's voice was sharp and chilling, and his single, visible eye was stone-cold. Without thinking, everyone nodded enthusiastically.

"Crystal," I murmured, fiddling with my kunai.

Ao padded over to the blackboard and pulled down a low hanging chart. On said chart was a diagram of five individual seals and their specific positioning. I memorized it quickly, repeating the seal order in my head like a mantra. _Boar, Dog, Bird, Monkey, Ram..._

"Now, I want you to bite your dominant hand- the one you throw kunai with- and draw blood_. _Now, copy the hand seals you see behind me." Ao stated, biting into the flesh on his right hand.

A tiny drop of blood fell from his wound, coating the pad of his thumb with crimson liquid.

I copied him, sinking my teeth into the flesh of my left thumb. I tore off as much flesh as I could. Soon enough, rivulets of blood were dripping down my hand, joining the wood shavings on the floor.

"Boar!" Ao shouted.

My classmates and I complied, each of us forming the 'boar' seal. Unlike the others, who were clumsy in their movements, I knew what I was doing. Without thinking, I finished off the remaining round of seals. I didn't wait for the others to catch up. Instead, I smeared the blood from my wound onto my other hand before I finished the jutsu.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" I cried.

Smoke exploded from my wound, weaving around me into an elaborately written seal. I could see my classmates watching in horror as the smoke wrapped tighter and tighter around my form until all I could see was solid smoke.

I heard Ao scream, "DON'T DO THAT!" but I payed him little mind.

Everything went black.

* * *

**Author's Note:  
**

**Have an idea for what her summon should be? Leave a review!  
**

Chinatsu, you poor reckless fool! Don't you know there's a reason he said "wait"?! XD

On another note: Yes, the woman at the beginning is Mei. Remember, the Jonin and the Chunin get stuck with teaching the Academy brats when there aren't enough volunteers to cover all the classrooms. She is described a bit differently from canon because she'd be a teenager here, and I doubt she'd dress the same way as she does now here.

Utakata isn't really OOC (I hope). He hasn't had Saiken sealed within him yet, so I feel like he'd act the way he did before his Master betrayed him. Plus, he's still a kid, after all. He's like... eight here, or something.

Not my best chapter... I struggled to write this one. It just wouldn't come to me! I tried to show a bit of Yagura's insanity slipping into Chinatsu's subconscious, but I don't know how well I did that. :(

-MSM-


	12. Chapter Eleven:

**Chapter Eleven: Chew Me Up and Spit Me Out**

"Extraordinary things are always hiding in places people never think to look."  
― Jodi Picoult

**. . .**

The world came into focus in an explosion of raw lightning, zipping around my form and tearing it to shreds. Oddly enough, I felt no pain. I only _saw, _as if I was watching someone else rather than myself.

It was undeniable, though, that this body belonged to me. This form was just the same as my own, long-legged and petite, covered in tiny bruises and so pale that I could see my own chakra network swirling beneath my skin as it attempted to recover the chakra I had lost. I looked frail- _everyone _thought so- but I was stronger than anyone would have ever expected.

_They will regret underestimating me._

My hands disappeared first, slipping into the dark, swirling vortex of nothingness without a trace. My forearms came next, and then my shoulders. My legs disappeared one by one, and eventually my abdomen, leaving me bodiless and empty in the darkness. Lightning flashed behind me, crackling with electric green sparks.

And then I was in the water.

I crashed through the waves, struggling against an incredibly strong current in an effort to keep myself from getting too far off course. I had no idea where I was, or which way was up or down. All I saw was _blue_.

A sharp pain erupted from my core, and I looked down and realized that the sea was flooding with a distinctive coppery crimson- _blood. _A quick feel to my abdomen confirmed that it was my own. I had somehow managed to land on top of a long, iron spike, the latter of which had pierced the flesh around my diaphragm and had managed to lodge itself in my abdomen. It stung, but I was strangely numb to the pain, as if my mind and my body were still two separate entities, yet I could still manipulate both.

With my free hand, I grasped what I could reach of the rod and pushed off as hard as I could. My forearms shook with strain, but little happened. The rod didn't budge. Instead, it seamed to almost liquify, congealing like slime within my intestines. It seemed to harden seconds later, like cement. Frantically, I pushed harder. Nothing.

_Is this... glue? _I wondered. The strange, soft-yet-rigid rods were slick with sticky slime, which was likely what was trapping me in place. I scratched at it with the tip of my fingers, digging into the strange substance with all of my strength. I wound up with broken fingernails and no progress. No matter how hard I clawed, kicked or pulled at the substance, nothing changed. The flesh on my palms and fingertips was beginning to be soaked with blood. The roughened texture of the rod was shredding through my flesh like a knife through butter, further adding to the blood in the water. Silently, I hoped their were no sharks in the surrounding area. Even I could smell it, the heavy essence of _wounded weakling. _If there were any sharks to be found, they'd appear soon enough.

I scratched at the ooze again, more out of frustration than anything else.

_What is this?! _I had never seen rods made of liquid material, or rods that were able to move themselves in such a way before... Did that mean that it was _alive_?!

As if on cue, the rod shifted. The murky water cleared, allowing faint rays of light to illuminate the previously dark area. Thousands of other rods suddenly appeared, and I realized that what I was currently on top of was not some sort of ship wreckage or other man-made material, but a _giant sea urchin. _A stream of bubbles flew from my mouth as I gasped in shock, accidentally inhaling a little too much water.

I covered my mouth with one hand, gnawing on the flesh on my palms while I tried to think of a way out of this. I was at a disadvantage in this position, and the liquification wouldn't do much to a creature that could do the same. Seeing as this was a sea urchin, I didn't doubt that this creature and its spikes were laced with deadly poison. I had stepped on many of these creatures before when I was out on the shoreline or swimming near the reefs. They were poisonous and vile little creatures, and some of them were venomous enough to kill. I'd lost a cousin, a frail girl with minuscule chakra reserves, to one before. There was no telling what would happen if I didn't move _now._

Poison was something I had never been able to handle.

I braced my legs on the closest spike, and turned as far over as I could, rolling and writhing until I finally managed to free myself from the sticky, hooked spike that had previously held me in place. Silently, I thanked whatever luck I had for _finally _releasing me, and swam away from the enormous creature as quickly as I could. As I fled, the creature shifted in place, and began to roll after me.

_What?! The sea urchins I know have never done something like this!_

And then I understood.

He was a gate keeper, this creature. Behind him was a strange reef made of what looked like broken, jagged bones of various sizes. The reef curved inwards near the center, leaving open a gaping hole that lead to something beyond my range of vision. The sea urchin was obviously some sort of guard, and my destined summon was behind him.

This was a test.

Without thinking, I liquified my form, loosing all feelings of pain and muscle soreness as I became one with the water. I knew the urchin could act similarly, but he seemed to excrete more of a glue than water. I would have to avoid him at all costs if I ever wanted to get anywhere near my summon.

_Now... How to get around it without getting stabbed...?_

Sea urchins didn't have eyes- or at least, not that I knew of anyway. I had never bothered to learn much about them, and I was once again left without any information when I needed it most. I could only assume, but even that left me on shaky ground.

I reverted back to my normal form, hissing in pain as the nerve endings beneath my skin began to reconnect, knitting together with every individual fiber of my being until I was once again _whole._. The wound in my abdomen was suddenly a thousand times more painful than it had been before, as if I was just now consciously within my own form. The bizarre, hollow feeling from before still lingered, but I didn't think much of it at the time.

The urchin sped towards me at an impossible speed, and I just barely managed to duck out of the way. I slipped behind a coral rock formation, cursing under my breath as I realized that my wound was still bleeding- and in fact, it was bleeding _more. _The wound hadn't closed up like it should have, which was worrying. Had the poison already begun to take affect?!

I didn't have time to think. The urchin discovered my hiding place and slammed into me while my guard was down. The blow was so great that I went flying forewords and crashed into the reef. The bones dug into my flesh, tearing through the fabric of my clothing and shredding my skin. My vision blurred with vertigo, darkening and blurring around the edges until all I could see were tiny white dots- like stars, I suppose.

There was _so _much blood.

Behind me, a giant clam opened its jaw, revealing its smooth, alabaster innards. The sea urchin charged, sending me flying one last time. I slammed into the shell of the clam, screaming in pain as the blow jarred my very core. The pain spread from the tip of my head to each of my toes and everywhere in between, exploding within me like a fire cracker, only without the pleasantries.

The clam closed its jaws, enveloping me in an unbreakable barrier that could only lead to hell.

_And then there was nothing._

* * *

"I told you we should have just sent her directly to us-" An unfamiliar voice argued, sounding too high pitched to pass for either of my parents.

The voice was ambiguous, and of an unreadable gender. It seemed to be coming from my left, but I couldn't be sure. My skull felt heavy with fluid, and my hearing was oddly muffled, as if someone had stuffed cotton balls into my ears while I was unconscious. Forcing my eyes open, I searched for the speaker.

The voice silenced as soon as I so much as shifted in place. Obviously, this was a conversation I was not meant to overhear.

I scowled, gnawing on my lower lip as I tried to figure out what I should do next. The room was dark and dimly lit. Only a small oil lamp in the corner provided any traces of human life, for the rest of the room was bare. I had been laid on the floor and hidden beneath a thin grey sheet. The sheet was dotted with oddly suspicious dark brown stains, and offered little protection from the moist chill that seemed to have fallen over the room when I awoke. When I exhaled, I could see smoke.

With a shiver, I pushed myself up off the ground, wrapping the sheet around my form in an effort to ward off the cold. My back and shoulders ached with each move I made, but my legs seemed to be working well enough, if not a little sore. My hands appeared to have taken the worst of it. The flesh there was stained red with blood and rough with cuts and bruises, and I was missing several fingernails. Someone had wrapped both of my hands in the thick, black gauze that had previously bound my elbows, clearly in an effort to quell some of the bleeding before it had the chance to grow any worse. As I moved, tiny drops of blood escaped from the wrappings and splashed onto the floor, leaving a tiny, crimson trail behind me.

Squinting, I clawed at the walls with broken fingernails, frantically searching for an exit. The walls were slick and slimy with moisture, and seemed to secrete a disgusting black goop. When I pushed against the walls, I discovered that the walls were oddly permeable and felt almost _squishy-_ like a giant sponge. The harder I pushed, the more of my arm I could fit through the wall.

I braced my legs against the curvature where the floor met the wall, centering all my weight in my core to aid in keeping myself upright. I then gather what little strength I had into my right fist, and slammed into the wall as hard as I could. My fist bounced back into my chest, knocking the breath from my longs. I coughed loudly, spitting out a disgusting chunk of an unknown, pinkish-substance as I did. Blood dripped onto the frigid stone floor beside my left foot. Only when I touched my lips did I realize where it was coming from...

_Me._

I slumped against the wall, curling up into a ball on the floor. My back twinged as I did, as if to remind me that I was horribly injured and I probably shouldn't have even been moving. I couldn't bring myself to care.

All I could think about was the blood that had dripped from my fingertips and fingernails, blanketing the floor in tiny crimson droplets. I was a Hozuki, and I wasn't supposed to bleed- yet I _had. _It was just like Yagura had said.

I wasn't normal.

Well, I suppose I was, but not normal for a Hozuki. Injuries were trivial in the mind's of my clan members, little things that didn't matter nor effect them in the slightest. But I had always been different. I had always been smaller and more delicate than any of my relatives had ever been, with tooth-pick thin thighs and tiny wrists. Most of my cousins were lithe and toned, lanky with rippling muscles covering every inch of their forms. For some reason, I had never looked that way. I had always been delicate- _weak _- in both body and constitution. As a child, I had grown sick often, and both my parents were convinced that I had inherited my mother's sickle cell anemia because of it. No matter what I had done to stay healthy, I would eventually succumb to whatever illness was currently in the area at the time. In fact, I had spent most of my childhood confined to my room in an effort to keep myself from contracting any deadly diseases. Kirigakure had a history of disease-oriented epidemics, and a particularly strong one would come around every few years and wipe out half of our population. As a result, almost every couple was required to have at least two children. My parents were the exception to that rule.

I had paid their price.

I had been the one who bled because of their mistakes. I had been the one forced to schlep through life as the "failure" of our clan. I had been the one to bandage my cuts and tend to my bruises. It had always been _me. _My parents had never been able to help me through the pain and the suffering I had been forced to endure. They did not understand pain. They only caused it.

And I was simply a thorn in their sides.

If what Yagura had said was anything to go by, then my grandmother had been the exact same way. She had been described as weak and sickly as a child, but a hearty and courageous adult- that is, until she betrayed the village. As disgusting her treachery was, I couldn't deny that she had been a powerful kunoichi. I had once admired her, but I now saw the truth. She had been a liar and a thief, feeding on the power of others in an effort to further her own. Yagura had taken interest in me simply because of what _she _had done, and what he assumed I would be capable of if he left me on my own for too long. Like a jinchūriki, I was to be chained to the very foundation of this village in an effort to keep me from ever seeking refuge anywhere else. My body was not my own.

I belonged to Kirigakure.

I sniffed, wiping at my eyes with the edge of my shredded sleeve. _I wasn't crying_, I thought, despite knowing good and well that I was. Tiny, barely visible teardrops dripped onto the sheet wrapped around me, spreading out across the fabric like blood.

_Worthless!_

No one ever wanted _me. _Anyone that had ever shown interest in me was only interested because of what someone else had done, whether it was Mangetsu, my grandmother, or my mother, but never in _me. _I was simply the gateway to their desires.

But not this time. This time, no matter where I was or what I was doing, I was going to do it my own way. I wouldn't use the power Yagura was after- in fact, I'd avoid it to the best of my ability. I wouldn't give them anything that wasn't mine.

False victories were worthless to me. Anything that was not my own was _worthless. _I had lived my entire life in a sheltered world, hidden within the walls of the Hozuki compound like some sort of shinobi Rapunzel, and now I was finally going to be able to prove my worth. I clearly wasn't in Kirigakure anymore, and I was likely in the land of my destined summon. I crossed my fingers, silently praying for something unique. I didn't want a shark or a toad, or anything like that. I wanted something no one else had.

Light flooded the room, slicing through the ominous darkness like a well-sharpened blade. As if by magic, a door appeared on the far wall. A silhouette of what I could only assume was a teenage girl stood on the other side, arms crossed in what I could only assume was an act of intimidation. Her posture was rigid and forced, as if someone had rammed a steel cable down her spine. For several moments, she did not move. I didn't either. I held my breath despite knowing that the girl could _clearly _see me from where she stood.

But sometimes even I like to play pretend.

Moments later, the girl finally decided to move. She stalked towards me, still nothing but a dark shadow in an even darker room. She had an advantage already, I could tell. She could see who I was and how injured I was, whereas I couldn't see anything besides the faintest outline of her form. If she lunged at me, I would hardly be able to defend myself.

I felt around for my pouch, silently thanking my mother for _finally _getting something right, and pulled out a kunai. I had been stupid enough to run off before I had the chance to pull my naginata from its resting place beneath the floorboards- in fact, almost all of my shinobi equipment was still at home, secured beneath a loosely-nailed floorboard for safe keeping.

_At least it's something, _I thought, gazing at the kunai in my palm.

The woman came closer.

I saw her feet first. They were bare and calloused, muddied with dirt and grime like that of a shinobi. My gaze traveled upwards, flickering over her toned calves and muscular thighs and stopping briefly at her hips. The woman had tied a forehead protector around her waist, but that was not was caught my attention. It was the insignia on the forehead protector that had me worried.

When I studied the inscription on her forehead protector, I realized that what was inscribed on the impeccably polished metal was a single palm tree.

_Not even a real shinobi village, then?_

Inwardly, I named all the villages in our world- Kirigakure, Kumogakure, Sunagakure, Konohagakure, Yukigakure, Hoshigakure, Yugakure... I knew them all, forehead protector insignias included. Never once had I seen or heard of a shinobi village relating to the palm tree. Sunagakure, I supposed, could pull it off, but they chose not to and had instead gone with a different insignia.

Clearly, I was not dealing with a normal enemy. This person could be _anyone_, and I would have no idea. The forehead protector was a vital part of shinobi identification. Even missing nin did not discard their headbands. Wearing a shinobi forehead protector was an _honor, _and not even the most grisly of individuals dared to part with their own. Modification and falsely wearing a forehead protector was almost as bad as throwing it away in distaste. You could wear the forehead protector however you wanted, wherever you wanted, but you were not supposed to tamper with its insignia as long as you were a member of your respective shinobi village.

My enemy was a rogue.

I braced my free hand on the floor, ignoring the disgusting slickness I felt against my palms in favor of gripping my kunai with my left hand. I pointed it upwards, aiming as best as I could in the direction of the woman's face. Without giving her a chance to react, I released the kunai.

It hit nothing but air.

The woman moved faster than I had expected. She caught my elbow with one hand, and gripped my remaining arm in the other. Before I had the chance to struggle, she had already transferred both of my bony arms to her right hand, where she tightly gripped my wrists. I swallowed hard, feeling totally defenseless. This woman was clearly strong enough to restrain me with one hand, so what chance did I have against her without my chakra?

Without thinking, I spat in her face.

The woman's form wavered, briefly breaking apart and then reforming into the same, shadowy shape that I had seen before. The woman did not react. Instead, she simply picked me up off of the floor and threw me over her shoulder. She had long, dirty blonde hair, and when she began to move, said hair managed to get in both my eyes and my mouth. I shrieked, kicking at her with what little strength I had left, but nothing happened. The woman simply readjusted her grip, further locking me in place.

I screamed yet again and raised my fist, punching her as hard as I could.

"LET GO!" I shrieked.

Seconds later, she did.

I hit the floor with a thump, landing on my stomach like a turtle. I rolled over, flipping onto my back and then pushing myself up off the ground in defiance. I was about to make a run for it, but I stopped when I realized where I stood.

We were in a large, open-roofed room. The entirety of its area was filling with crystalline, sparkling water that was so clear that it was almost transparent. Almost instantly, some of the soreness in my muscles began to lessen, and I looked down to see the wound in my chest beginning to close up. I placed a hand over the tear in my top, tightly gripping the torn curvature between my hip and my thigh where blood had once flowed freely from my injuries. The tissue reconnected before my eyes, as if I was being stitched back together by some sort of invisible thread. I released my grip on my top and instead flexed my fingers, watching in a mixture of amazement and horror as the cuts on my skin began to disappear.

The blood remained in its original position, forming dark brown stains on my skin and rippling, now sopping-wet clothing and hair. There would be no hiding it, I realized as I clutched at the fragments that remained of my top. Everyone would be able to plainly see that I had been hurt and defeated by something that wasn't even _human. _My failure would be painfully obvious when I returned to the Academy.

_...That is, if I ever escaped this place._

I straightened up, popping my back with a loud and deeply satisfying crack. I then turned towards the woman, looking to her expectantly. I blanched when she stepped foreword, finally coming into the light. Her face was nonexistent, more of a shadowy smear than anything else. Her hair looked more like ancient seaweed, I realized, and her skin was like driftwood, smooth and gritty, and as pale as birch bark. She didn't look human, but more like a headless body that had attempted to compensate for her lack of a head by distorting the world around her.

And it was then that I knew where I was.

I was in the Land of Mirages, hidden deep within the same heavily guarded realm as the more well-known Mount Myōboku, home of the giant toads. Unlike the other land, however, the Land of Mirages was one place that had never been truly seen. The terrain surrounding the area was supposedly untravelable, filled with water and dangerous beasts on all sides, with a shore that only lead to a desert of bones. I could name only a few animals associated with this supposedly untouched land- the clam, crab, and conch king. I knew of little else hearty enough to survive such rugged terrain, and I could only assume that I was within one of their three respective homes at that very moment.

I searched the room's walls and floors for something recognizable- perhaps a statue, or an enormous kanji baring the name of its respective animal- that would hopefully tell me where I was. I found nothing but cold, white sand. The room and its contents were bizarrely clean and almost _chilly _in atmosphere, as if someone had cleaned the area to the point of excessiveness and had somehow succeeded in wiping away all signs of life. I saw no plant life or other vegetation, or anything alive, really,

Frantically, I dropped to my knees, digging through the sand and silently praying that I had not been summoned to the home of the sea slugs. They were known to live exceptionally clean lifestyles, eating away at whatever grime they found in their home of choice until there was nothing left. If I was anywhere at all, it made sense that I would be _there, _with them. The sea slugs were a lesser known, less powerful version of the traditional slug summon that lived only in the sea. They were about as useful in a battle as a potato, and they were by far one of the worst summons I could have received. If I had them for a summon, I'd never be able to live it down. As Yagura's disciple, I had a certain reputation to uphold and I couldn't be seen with such lowly creatures.

The sand shifted beneath me, revealing a tiny mollusk with a slanted oval shell. I sighed with relief, thanking my good fortune. I picked it up, blowing the remains of the sand off of its shell in order to get a better look at the creature. When I did, the creature emitted a strange squealing sound and attempted to jump out of my hands. Thankfully, I managed to catch it before it could fly out of my grasp.

"What are you, anyway?" I asked quietly.

I received no response, but then again, I hadn't expected one. Only certain animals could speak, and it seemed that this one couldn't do anything aside from squeal when I lifted it. _Useless, _I decided.

The creature proceeded to spit boiling water in my face.

I gasped, reflexively hurling the small animal across the room, where it hit the wall and shattered into far too many pieces to be repaired. A hush fell over the already quiet room, as if the other mollusks were needlessly mourning the loss of a comrade. I scowled, rubbing at my throbbing cheek with the edge of my shredded shirt sleeve. My flesh stung with pain but I couldn't bring myself to care. I was far too disappointed in myself to even think of feeling any remorse for what I had done, much less baby myself over something as trivial as a burn.

This time, the water did not heal me. It was as if an invisible force was somehow punishing me for my wrong-doings and forcing me to endure the pain it deemed me deserving of. Instead, the water healed the mollusk.

The creature pieced itself back together, its internal organs reforming and knitting together beneath tissue and a shell until it was once again complete. I approached it, pulling it from the dent it had made in the wall before it had shattered and cupping it in my hands. I stared at it, searching for something, _anything, _that told me I was supposed to be here. The creature stayed silent, as if it was waiting for something.

_There's no way it expects me to-_

"I'm... I'm... I'm _sorry, _okay?! Isn't that enough for you, hearing me grovel like this? Show yourself, you bastard!" I shrieked.

Oddly enough, my words rang out cleanly through the water rather than sounding like garbled choking like I had expected them to. Clearly, there was more to this room than meets the eye... _A space-time ninjutsu, perhaps? _As far as I knew, sound waves did not travel through water like they did on land. If anything, my words should have been nothing but bubbles.

But they were not.

"You're a brat, a thief, and a danger to us all, but I'll welcome you here, Hozuki Chinatsu. After all, one cannot control another's destiny." A low, raspy voice hissed from somewhere behind me.

I jumped at the sound of the unfamiliar voice, dropping the small mollusk in my haste. I turned towards the strange woman from before, and realized that she was not who or what I thought she was. The strange woman had been replaced by a clam so large that it was unable to fit the entirety of its form within the room itself and was instead hovering above it. It's shadow was large enough to cover the entire room, leaving me completely in the dark.

_Holy shit, _I gasped, sounding far too much like my mother for my liking.

"I am the Clam King, the father of all mirages and poisonous darkness. I see all, know all, and I know _you, _Hozuki Chinatsu. Do not think that you can slip past me yet again."

"What do you mean 'again'?! I'VE NEVER BEEN HERE BEFORE!" I screamed, throwing my arms into the air in order to better illustrate my rage.

"You have indeed walked this land, child. Perhaps not in this life, but in a previous one. You birthed the closest thing we've ever had to a clam sage some seventy years ago... the Nidaime Mizukage, I believe?" The clam murmured, sounding almost _jovial _at the sound of my irritation.

I snorted. "Birthed my ass. I'm seven, you imbecile!"

Outwardly, I was mouthing off, but inwardly, I was jumping for joy. The clam summon and the conch summon were both _extremely _powerful- if not rarely used- summons, and the clam in particular had been utilized by at least two of our previous mizukage. I was lucky to be blessed with the natural affinity for such a strong summon.

But I couldn't tell them that.

"You don't speak like a child your age should. Show some respect for your elders, littleneck.*" The giant clam chastised.

When the clam spoke, his jaws opened and shut with every word, resembling a book being slammed closed and then reopened, repeatedly. It was almost comical, and I couldn't take him seriously because of it. I was sure he meant to be intimidating, but _no one _-aside from Yagura and my mother, that is- scared me. I _definitely_ wasn't afraid of some self-important, know-it-all clam.

"I give respect when it's earned, but never before that. So suck it up and deal with it, old man."

I imagine that if clams had eyes, the creature would have rolled his own at that very moment.

"Are we going to do this or not?" The clam groused, sounding thoroughly offended.

He muttered something about "kids these days" under his breath when he thought I couldn't hear him, and I couldn't help but laugh at his plight. For someone supposedly so "powerful," he was certainly easily annoyed.

I smirked in response to his question, grinning cruelly. "Damn straight. Let's get this over with, already. I don't want to be an old woman by the time we're finished here!"

The clam muttered something else, but I could hardly hear him this time. It seemed he was learning, after all.

Anything and everything he said could be used against him.

The woman from before appeared out of nowhere, looking just as she had moments ago. Her face was nothing but an inky smear, but her posture was significantly more defensive than it had been before. She stalked towards me like a robot, and it was only then that I realized she was some sort of genjutsu-powered puppet. If I looked hard enough, I could see thin, black chakra strings that extended from her spine and backs of her thighs, and I could only assume someone was controlling them from the shadows. I had no idea _who _but I knew it had to be someone human. The puppetry techniques required the usage of hands and fingers, whereas clams didn't have any additional appendages to speak of, therefor rendering them unable to control puppets.

_What could they do, then? Don't you need hands for almost everything?_

I remembered the clam from before spitting water in my face, and that _had _hurt, but it was hardly a weapon. They couldn't seem to produce jutsu or do much of anything at all, yet they were still written off as a "highly powerful yet rare" summon. Why was that?

_What were they hiding?_

I found out soon enough.

* * *

*Littleneck is the term for a baby clam ;)

Sorry for the slow updates. I have exams next week, so I'm cramming. Plus, I continued to have persistent writers block and rewrote this chapter an obscene amount of times. Sorry, guys!

Also, I did some research on Chinatsu's personality type for a class and found that she falls into a very specific category of asshole. I've written a brief description of her "type" down in an effort to debunk some of the questions circulating about her... And extra information is always good, no? Anyway, said information can be found in a Google document that I have linked in my profile. (FF won't allow these sorts of posts in a story format)

According to my psychology professor, Chinatsu's type of character is one that suffers from "narcissistic personality disorder." She's really... strange, I think, and looking at the bio might be helpful.

Also: To clarify, she _can _use the Hydrification Technique, but only when in absolutely dire need. Her ability to use it sort of fluctuates, as seen when she was able to survive the Kaguya blade going _completely _through her with no complications, but wound up getting totally destroyed against the giant sea urchin. As to why that is will be explained eventually... ;)

-MSM-


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